Journey Anew
by Collarander the Unicorn
Summary: Taking off where the game ended, the group are now on seperate paths to new journeys. A look at all the characters and the interlude up to the Coronation.
1. After The Storm

**Chapter 1 - After The Storm**

Final Fantasy XII belongs to Square-Enix.

He awoke to the lights that filtered in through the many gaps in the broken roof rafters. He quickly drew up his arm to block out the brightness as his eyes adjusted and looked at the area around him; it was a mess. Most of the metallic beams were either broken or bent, half their attachments lost in the piles of debris that scattered the corners of the room. Not too far down, he noticed a tunnel within a pile of wreckage that was brightly lit at the end; possibly a way out. He thought to himself. But where was his partner?

The last thing he could remember was carrying her in his arms as they made their way towards the exit of the once proud and mighty airship, Bahamut. Then the airship had lurched, and everything after that became a swirling darkness; they both must have been thrown by the movement. But where was she now? He envisioned her trapped in the dark, in dire need of help while all he did was lay there and ponder his predicament. He immediately tried to pull himself onto his feet in his moment of panic, and that was when he realised that there was a weight on his chest. He looked down to find a pair of rabbit ears and long locks of white hair. Balthier let out an audible sigh of relief and lay back against the wall. The ears pricked, and he realised that his sudden movement had caused her to awaken. The viera stirred and slowly propped herself up with her hands and raised her head, and was then met with a playful grin.

"Well Fran, I never knew you to be so...intimate."

Her expression of confusion changed to embarrassment as she looked down to find that her own body lay sprawled on top of that of the man's. In a quick reflex, she clambered to her feet immediately but the movement made her head spin, and despite her struggle to stay upright, she toppled over and landed heavily back onto the man. Balthier gasped as the weight hit him,

"I guess you were right," he said breathlessly, "I am more of a supporting role."

His statement caused the viera to smile, and Balthier finally dared to do something that he had always been sure he was going to get a slap in to face from her for; he pulled her close and kissed her. She was surprised by his sudden show of affection, but she did not pull away. As their lips departed, she laid her head back onto his chest and they lay together, comforted by one another's' nearness.

Finally, the peaceful silence was broken by the viera's voice, "We should find an exit. I don't know how long this structure will hold."

She stood up gracefully this time and looked around, taking in the scene of destruction. Balthier pointed towards the tunnel he had seen earlier, "There's a light at the end, it's worth a look."

Fran headed in the direction he had indicated, her heels clicking against the floor as the sky pirate got to his feet and dusted himself off. He didn't not follow, instead he noticed what looked like a barrel of a gun sticking out from under a pile of rubble and became determined to extract it. Piece by piece, he removed the jagged fragments of wood and metal. He finally uncovered his prize, and after examining the state it was in, polished it with the cuffs of his shirt. Fran had not returned yet, so he slung the gun onto his back and scanned the room. In another corner of the room was what he was looking for; a bow. He stepped over and picked it up, it wasn't too worse for wear considering what it had been through, but when he extracted the quiver from under a plank of wood, he found it empty, the arrows obviously scattered in their fall. He looked back at the floor and shrugged, there was no way he was going to search for arrows in this mess. Besides, they could always buy new ones.

The click of heels announced the return of his partner as she spoke, "There is a hole in the side of the airship. It is large enough for us to fit."

"Alright then. I guess it's time we took our leave."

He handed her the bow and empty quiver, at which she raised an eyebrow to, and then followed her towards the expanse of light.

Balthier stared in surprise when he looked out the opening of the airship. Fran, noticing his expression cast him a bemused smile and said, "It seems we may need to swim."

"So much for keeping our clothes tidy…" Balthier added as he looked up towards the city, "I suppose our Princess is now Queen."

"And we are once again sky pirates."

"Right you are Fran. And I do believe sky pirates require an airship."

He gazed at the airships that arrived and departed from the city,

"Rabanastre it is then."


	2. Something More Valuable

**Chapter 2 - Something More Valuable**

"It looks like the city is back to its normal self. Say, how bout we go take a drink for old times sake?"

The hume and viera couple entered the outskirts of Rabanastre. The south gate before them was a sign of the city's new independence; it now stayed open and there were no sign of the lines of people who once stood outside, waiting to gain access to the city within. Instead, many stalls had now appeared, offering food, equipment and finery to those passing by. As the couple entered the gateway, they could see the difference that their work had wrought on the people; the streets bustled with noise as people laughed and children ran amok. The Archadian soldiers that once oppressed the city were gone, and now citizens wandered freely as they pleased.

The pair made their way towards the bar, but could not help catching snippets of conversation from the many crowds of gossip. One name seemed to pop up from every group,

"...Princess Ashe..."

"..yes, Ashelia B'nargin..."

"...they say that her suicide was a cover up..."

"…her coronation is the talk of the palace.."

"She sure became the talk of the town," Balthier said to his companion, "It's almost as if they had forgotten who the real heroes are."

"Jealous are we?" Fran asked jokingly,

"Of course not! As sky pirates it would be bad for us to ruin our notoriety with deeds of great valor!" Balthier retorted as they entered the Sandsea, "But seeing as we did a great deal of the work the princess should have paid us for our services."

"She will be a good Queen," Fran said, "she has learned much."

"I just hope she's learned to stop being so stubborn." He remarked as they picked up their drinks and headed for their usual seat on the second floor landing. As they seated themselves, the sky pirate could not help hearing the loudly whispered conversation from the table behind him,

"...that's right, the Cache of Glabados...they say it be more than even the Dalmascan treasury...in Bervenia to the south..."

"What do you think? Shall we take our share?" He asked his partner as she leaned back onto his chair in a more relaxed position and took a drink.

"First we will need an airship before we begin any hunt for treasure."

"Then we'll go down to the Aerodome after this and pick the Strahl. I hope Vaan's kept the girl in good shape in my absence."

"If we go during the day, we may be detained from our hunt."

"Right, I'm sure they'll have questions, and we just don't have the time. Shall we do it the sky pirate way then? Vaan won't mind, he'll be getting a good lesson on sky pirating after all. I just hope he doesn't get too upset, after all, I did tell him I would be back for her."

"They think we are dead. Best to leave a note."

"Oh yes, and that reminds me..." Balthier reached into his shirt pocket and retrieved a silver ring. I suppose the princess will be wanting her trinket back, and I believe we are about to find something more valuable."

He held the ring up to the light to examine it and stopped for a second to ponder their plan of action, then he continued, "We take an early trip to the Aerodome tomorrow morning, and we leave the ring and a note for Vaan and Penelo. I'll ask them to return it for us, then we're off to find the Cache of Glabados. What say you Fran?"

"We must be prepared before we take the airship. We should gather supplies now if you plan on leaving for Bervenia tomorrow."

"Then we best be off!" He finished, as he downed the last of his glass and stood up causing the chair legs to scratch across the wooden floor. Fran could not help smiling at his enthusiasm, but quickly downed her glass as well and followed him out onto the streets of Rabanastre.


	3. Sky Pirates

**Chapter 3 – Sky Pirates**

Two shadows slid smoothly and silently through the streets of Rabanastre. It was still dark, the sky dotted with stars though the deep blue was beginning to lighten at the edges.

The soft padding of shoes and the gentle tap of heels moved swiftly past the empty stalls towards the Aerodome. The city seemed dead at this time of day, there was no sound of people; no signs of life. But for the two fleeting shadows, it was all they could hope for. They reached the large glass doors of the Aerodome unseen. The complex was dark inside, but a sound of machinery lingered from within; most likely travellers tending to their own private airship while they had the advantage of the absence of crowds.

A pair of hands clasping picks reached for the lock on the door, while the tap of heels moved from side to side on the street. Balthier knew enough about locks to be able to pick almost any in the whole of Ivalice, and his viera partner was a very accomplished lookout, with the help of an extra sensitive nose that could detect a presence better than any hume could.

The door clicked and glided open smoothly. The man stepped inside and with a wave of his arm, signalled his lookout from the street. Once they were both within the vicinity of the Aerodome, they allowed the door to slide smoothly back into place with its customary click.

"Now…which hanger is she in..?" Balthier asked himself as he looked around. Fran had approached the attendant's desks and was sorting through the sheets. She finally held one up and called, "It is housed in Hanger 5."

Balthier stepped over to her and squinted at the document, after a few seconds he looked up and said, "You viera might have sharp eyes, but I can't read a thing in the dark! I'll just have to take your word for it. Come Fran, the Strahl awaits!"

He hurried into the direction of the hangers with the woman close behind. As they approached the fifth hanger, Balthier stopped. There was a sliver of light showing from under the door, and the sound of work that they had heard from outside was also emanating from that same hanger.

"Are you sure it said Hanger 5?" Balthier questioned,

"Positive." Fran replied with conviction.

"Then I wonder who would be working on it now, at this time of night?" The man wondered as he crept up to the door and laid an ear against it.

"Aren't you done yet? We should go home and rest!"

"I'm nearly finished! Just a little bit more!"

"You said that before! I'm tired, and the airship can wait right? It's not about to run away. Just because you can call yourself a sky pirate now doesn't mean that you have to spend all your time on it Vaan!"

"Well, Balthier told me to keep her in good shape, so that's what I'm gonna do!"

"Balthier…and Fran…I wonder if they'll ever come back for her…?"

"They promised Penelo. One day they'll come through that door, probably with their arms full of treasure, and Balthier will probably say, 'What did you expect, the Leading Man never dies!"

"…I hope so…"

"And when they do, I'll have found my own treasure, and I'll show him who's the better sky pirate!"

"Oh Vaan…"

Balthier turned to speak to partner who stood behind him against the door, "Looks like he hasn't changed a bit. He still acts like a child."

"Really? I would say he sounds a lot like you." Fran replied in amusement.

"Fran please. I have a far better sense for treasure, and I am much more the leading man-"

"I'm done!!" The boy's voice rang from within the hanger. The girl yawned then replied,

"Finally! It's nearly morning! I told Migelo I would help him run some errands in the morning."

"Well, since I made you stay up all night, I guess I'll help you with those errands."

"Really…? Thanks Vaan."

"No problem, now let's go home."

The door began to rise and the two hidden figures backed away from the light that streamed into the hall. The girl pulled at a cord and the light disappeared.

"I'm gonna lock her up now!" The boy called from a little further down the hall. The girl ran over to him, following the sound of his voice in the dark, and as the door slowly lowered itself back down to the ground, the pair did not notice the two dark shadows slip into the hanger.

The door came down behind the sky pirates as they stood in silence within the darkness. They waited for the confirmation of retreating footsteps before they made a move on the airship.

"Come on Vaan! What are you waiting for?" The girl's voice seem distant now, "It's going to be morning soon!"

"All right, I'm coming!!" The boy replied as his footsteps began to move away from the hanger, it was soon met with another pair, then a click of a door. Another click sounded not too long after, and then all was silent.

"Time to get going." Balthier said as he fumbled for the light switch. The light flashed and caused the duo a momentary blindness, then as Balthier dared to look up again, all he could do was stare in surprise. Fran was more subtle in her reaction and said to her open mouthed companion, "They have done a good job with her."

"You said it." Was all he could say as he looked on at his airship restored to its former glory. After the flights to and from the Bahamut, the sky pirate had been expecting to find her in working condition, if nothing else. But now, as he took a closer look at the exterior he found that all the scratches and indents on the surface had been repaired and repainted. He headed over to the entrance control panel and punched in his code. The stairway came down smoothly and he quickly clambered on to take a look inside. The interior had been cleaned and the floor vacuumed. There were no longer the bits of small matter lining the floor that had accompanied them on their adventure. Balthier headed over to the engine room and nodded in firm acceptance, they had done a good job, maybe even better than he might have done.

He came back to the entrance and stuck his head out to find his partner still wandering within the hanger.

"Let's go Fran!"

"Haven't you forgotten something?" She replied pointedly.

"Oh…"

Balthier produced a small pouch from his pocket,

"Now where should I put it…?" He looked around and found the viera looking suggestively at a floating crystal shaped lamp.

"Ah…that seems like a suitable place for a note." He said, ignoring the almost laughing expression of the woman. He approached the lamp and hung the pouch onto its metal frame. He then stepped back to admire the effect.

"We're all set to go now."

The viera nodded, then headed towards the control panel for the hanger. After a few pushes of a button, the top of the room opened up, revealing the night sky, tinted with the pale light the morning. The couple then climbed into the airship and assumed their positions at the controls.

"Are we all ready to go Fran?" Balthier called from the pilot's seat.

"It's all clear." Fran replied as the Strahl came to life.

"Then we're off for the Cache of Glabados!"

He finished as the airship rose up above the Aerodome, then shot off into the horizon.


	4. Stolen

**Chapter 4 – ****Stolen**

It was afternoon by the time the pair of teenagers had finished up their errands. The boy was hurrying towards the Aerodome while the girl walked casually behind.

"Come on Penelo!" Vaan called excitedly back to the girl. He had to stop every few feet to wait for her to catch up.

"Calm down. It's still going to be there no matter how long we take." The blond girl replied laughingly. "And you saw it only just a couple of hours ago, nothing will have changed."

"I just want to see her in daylight. All fixed and tuned up, like how I first saw her with Balthier when we went to rescue you!"

Penelo smiled, then started to run, quickly passing the boy. He watched at her in surprise,

"We better hurry then, right?" She called back to him with a huge grin as he quickly picked up his pace and followed.

They reached the Aerodome and raced inside, making their way to the hanger they had only just left early that morning. Penelo reached the control panel first and punched in the keys that opened the hanger door, then rushed in with her friend.

The scene that met them left them standing in open eyed shock. The airship was gone.

"What? Where is she?!" Vaan cried as he ran into the landing area of the airship, waving his arms out to confirm that the airship was indeed gone and not just invisible.

"Look!" Penelo called as she stepped over to a lamp floating in the empty expanse. A small pouch hung from it. Vaan raced over, removed it, and began to open it,

"What? What does it say?!" The girl asked with fear and anticipation as she jumped around behind him, trying to see over his shoulder. He was taking so long that she grabbed it from his hands and pulled out the note,

"Hey-" Vaan interjected as he leaned in to read the note in her hands. It read: 'Something more valuable; the Cache of Glabados. I await in Bervenia."

"Does that mean-?!" Penelo cried disbelievingly, staring at the writing, "They're alive, they're alive, they're alive!!!" She jumped in ecstasy and clambered onto the back of the boy, "They're alive, they're alive, they're alive!!"

"Hey-! Penelo-! Don't-!" He yelled trying to throw her off as her arms clung tightly around his neck and the rest of her body swung from side to side. Her movement caused him to lose his balance. They both fell to the ground and the pouch fell with them. As it hit the ground, a silver ring rolled out.

"Hey-" The girl said as she pulled herself out of the tangle that they had landed in and reached for the fallen contents, "There's something on the back of the card."

She picked it up and read, "Give this to the Queen for me would you?" She looked at the ring that she held in her other hand, "He must mean this." She continued as she turned the ring around in her palm and examined it, then got up off her companion and onto her feet,

"Let's go Vaan! Let's take the ring back to Ashe! She'll be so happy to know that they're alive!"

Vaan got to his feet more slowly, he reached for the card that Penelo had put down; the girl was now dancing within the area that the airship had once stood.

"It says, 'I await in Bervenia.' But how are we supposed to get there?"

"We'll figure something out!" Penelo called as she continued to twirl and spin, "Let's go see Ashe! I feels like we hardly see her now that she's going to be Queen!"

Vaan took another look at the empty expanse of space that the airship had once occupied, and at the excited form of the dancing girl. He froze for a second, his eyes not able to help noticing the figure of his companion as she moved. He shook his head to clear out his confused thoughts and then called back,

"Well, I guess there's no point staying here. Let's go to the palace!"


	5. Returning The Ring

**Chapter 5 – Returning the Ring**

"Ashe! Ashe!!" The girl yelled as she raced towards the palace entrance, her companion in tow. They both reached the doorway puffing and panting to find the guard looking sternly at them.

"You will address the Princess Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca as 'Your Highness, and furthermore, you will conduct yourselves in proper manner before you come to call on Her Majesty."

He said, looking down his nose at the two teenagers, his eyes particularly taking in their exhausted conditions and casual clothes. Penelo frowned hopelessly and began to turn away, but Vaan, feeling a sudden strong sense to defend his friend stepped in front her and growled,

"We're her friends! Now go and tell_ 'Your Highness' _that we want to see her!"

The guard was taken back for a second then looked as if he were about to retort when a smooth female voice broke the confrontation.

"Vaan, Penelo, it's nice to see you again."

The princess of Dalmasca stepped out from the entrance, she was dressed in a pale white gown and jewellery adorned her arms and neck. She acknowledged the two visitors with a flicker of a smile then turned firmly onto the guard,

"These people assisted me in the restoration of Dalmasca's independence. I hope you will show them the respect they deserve."

The guard bowed low to her and murmured, "Your Highness."

"Please come inside." Ashe spoke as she turned back to her friends. She directed them into a richly decorated sitting room. Vaan could not help noticing the relics that decorated the walls and tables and Penelo looked as if she would burst if she had to contain her news any longer. Ashe had to conceal her grin as she led them to the seats and motioned for them to sit. She had barely touched the seat herself when Penelo blurted out, "Balthier and Fran are alive!!"

"What?!" She said in shock and surprise. She jumped back onto her feet and looked towards the entrance, eyes filled with hope and longing, "Are they here?" She asked.

"No….they came and took the Strahl in the middle of the night." Penelo replied sadly, but also with a hint of indignation. Ashe frowned and returned to her seat,

"Balthier…" She whispered as she looked away from her two former travelling companions. Her eyes were clouding with the beginning of tears.

"He left us a note." Vaan spoke, oblivious to the turmoil that had arose within the princess. His comment however brought her out of her stupor,

"A note?! What did he have to say to us that could not have been important enough for him to returned to speak to us instead?" Her voice was suddenly harsh and caused the couple to look at each other confused, Vaan shrugged. Penelo withdrew the pouch from within her pocket and handed it to the princess.

Ashe poured the contents out onto her palm and gasped when she saw the ring, she reached for the note and murmured in a quiet voice, "He has kept his word."

"I hope they come back soon. I miss them." Penelo said,

"Yeah, we don't have an airship now that he's gone and taken the Strahl." Vaan added.

Ashe looked over the card again, "It seems as if he is expecting you."

"How are we supposed to get to Bervenia? We can't fly without an airship!" He replied uselessly, "And how are we supposed to find treasure if we can't fly?"

Ashe smiled at the forlorn pair before her, "Well, for your services towards the restoration of Dalmasca, I will have you granted an airship."

"Wh-at?!" Vaan asked disbelievingly as he leapt from his seat. Penelo was still seated, but a stunned expression covered her face.

"You're giving us…..an airship?" He finally managed to continue. "You're kidding, right?"

"To be sure, I would not make a joke of such an issue. And how much of a sky pirate could you be without an airship?" She asked with a laugh, then her tone became more serious,

"I am able to make peace with all that has happened three years ago. You helped me to move on in life, isn't it time you did the same?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Vaan replied, scratching the back of his head. "Wow, can't believe I'm finally going to have my own airship!" He finished, euphoria rising in his voice.

"Our!" Penelo said with mock anger, "A sky pirate needs a partner right?" She added with a grin at the boy,

"Yeah, it'll be our airship." He said, "But I get to choose the name!"

"Vaan!!"


	6. In Flight Entertainment

**Chapter 6 – In Flight Entertainment**

The pair of sky pirates sat within the cockpit of the airship, their eyes focussed on the control of their path. The man leaned over to peer at the screens that his partner was monitoring then said,

"We're making good time."

"There is still a way till Bervenia." The viera replied.

"Right. But it is getting late," the man continued as he turned back to his position and looked out at the darkening sky, "We might as well take a break. I rather feel like grabbing a bite to eat."

He got off his seat and headed out of the room slowly, making it obvious that he wanted her to follow. Fran ignored his silent suggestion and instead continued to work.

"It's on autopilot and you know this old girl can look after herself." Balthier remarked as he stuck his head back into the room, "Come Fran."

The viera looked around, she have a feeling that something was wrong. But it wasn't strong, it felt like a tiny movement in the background, something that distracted but wasn't worth paying attention to. She frowned, and turned back to the monitor, there wasn't anything in sight that could interfere with their trip and all the gauges showed that the ship was running normally. She mentally shrugged to herself, then got up and headed off to join her partner.

Fran entered the makeshift kitchen and dining room find Balthier at the stove. She smiled at him; it always seemed amusing to watch him cook, it just did not fit his 'leading man' image. He returned her look then turned suggestively to a pile of vegetables and said,

"Dinner might take a while if I have to do all the work myself."

"That is fine. I can wait." She replied seriously, and Balthier couldn't cover up the crestfallen look that came upon his expression.

"But, since you are planning on a meal soon, I suppose I shall assist." She added with a mischievous smile as she headed over to the counter and began to peel a potato. Balthier leaned over her shoulder and said with a grin,

"Now with all the viera I could choose from, why did I end up with the cheeky one?"

He was about to move in closer to her when the door opened, causing them both to turn in surprise. A moogle entered.

"Nono! What are you doing here?!" The sky pirate asked in both surprise and exasperation. The moogle looked taken aback as he noticed the couple, than began to rant,

"Sir! The others say you perished within the Bahamut! I didn't know what to do so I decided to continue taking care of the Strahl in your memory. I was working late on her and took a nap, now I have just awakened and found the ship in flight! I came by wondering if somebody had decided to take her for a trip and instead find that you both are very much alive!! …unless, of course, I must have perished within the ship and rejoined you..."

The pair of sky pirates had to stifle a laugh at the moogle mechanics' dilemma. Balthier was finally able to say shakily, "You're alive Nono, and so are we. Right now we're off for the Cache of Glabados."

"Right oh sir! I see treasure hunting is back on the list! I had better go and tune up the works for long distance flying!" He turned to leave as the sky pirates exchanged a glance, then Balthier called in a semi commanding voice, "The airship is fine! Now come back here, sit down and have some food!"

"But sir! I must check the engines and-"

"Sit down Nono."

The moogle turned up to look at the face of the stern sky pirate, then stepped back into the room. He walked over to the table and seat down, still twitching slightly as if he planned on making a run.

"And stay sitting." Balthier added as he turned back towards the cooking pot, keeping one eye on the seated figure.

The food was laid out on the small table and wine was poured. Balthier raised his glass,

"For saving Rabanastre and a good haul in Bervenia!"

"A haul of a physical type." Fran added with amusement as they recalled the last time they had thought they were in a holding of absolute wealth. Balthier grinned at her then downed his entire glass in one gulp.

The meal proceeded smoothly, expect for one incident where Nono jumped up in panic with a cry of, "There's something wrong! I must go check-" 'Thud!!'

A leg had appeared from under the table into his path of flight. Balthier tried to hide a satisfied smirk as he concentrated intently on his plate. Fran only raised an eyebrow to the situation, but could shake the feeling that the moogle was right; something had been nudging at the edge of her senses all day. She had decided it might have been the presence of the unfounded moogle on the airship, but it was still there, and she just couldn't, for the life of herself figure out what it meant.

She tried to convince herself that it was the aftermath of the events on the Bahamut. Her senses were just shot from the fear and tension she had suffered. There was no point in worrying the sky pirate when he was in a good mood, especially since this was their first hunt for a long time. She glanced over at him surreptitiously and saw he was no longer able to control his laughter as the moogle searched for the cause of his fall. The feeling would be gone by morning she decided as she stood up and began collecting the dishes.


	7. A Perfect Landing

**Chapter 7 – "A Perfect Landing"**

_This chapter has been updated due to a huge error on my part…I still don't know how I forgot, but Mo__ogles say "Kupo"!! Thanks to Selbiene Raveren for reminding me! So this chapter has been edited for that extra Kupo!_

Red eyes opened suddenly in the darkness. They searched the room to see an incandescent glow coming from the edges of the curtains, than as they adjusted, more shapes became visible in the shadows. She brushed away the long tendrils of snowy white hair that clung to her face and propped herself up on the pillow. Looking down, she noticed an arm wrapped around her waist; and turning around, she saw the sleeping face of the copper haired man. She smiled at his peaceful expression, then pulled herself gently out from under the sheets, trying to disturb as little as possible as she got to her feet.

The feeling she had was still there. It lingered on her mind, keeping her from peaceful sleep. She decided to check the ship, it would ease her mind to see herself that everything was fine. She pulled on a light coat that tumbled to her knees; it could get cold in the airship at night, especially since they were heading south. Once dressed, Fran opened the door and slipped out.

A blast of cold air hit her she stepped into the dark corridor, but she was more surprised by the light near the other end of the hall, near the engine room. She approached it stealthily and peered inside, and saw the bob of a fluffy pom-pom tail. It was Nono.

"Who's there kupo?!"

The moogle exclaimed fearfully as he whirled around with a wrench in hand. Fran stepped into the light of the room and the moogle immediately lowered his weapon.

"What are you doing here ma'am?"

"I could ask you the same."

The viera replied with a sharp look at the mechanic. Nono turned back to the engine and said,

"There is something wrong kupo. Since Mr Bunasa did not allow me to take a look at her, I decided to come do it now."

Fran walked over to the engine and crouched down to take a look,

"Are there any problems?"

She asked, looking over her shoulder at the moogle,

"Not that I've seen. But I have only been working on her for a little while before you came along, kupo."

Fran frowned, the feeling had become stronger, something was definitely off. She stood up and said to the moogle,

"I sense a disturbance on the ship. I will check the control room, you stay here and search."

"Yes, kupo! I will not let you down!"

The moogle replied and hurried back to the engine with his tools. Fran left the room and stepped back into the dark hall. No. She thought to herself, it was coming from there. Something was about to go wrong with the engine room!

She turned and shouted the name of the moogle loudly, and at the same time, a blast of flame and smoke burst through the doorway into her. Her ears rang from the explosion as she was thrown backwards.

"Nono!!" She called again as the airship suddenly tilted and she slipped over again in her attempt to stand.

"I-I'm okay….kupo…"

An injured voice called from within the smoke and debris. A small shadow emerged from it and Fran quickly reached out to help the moogle. As she pulled him to safety, a dark figure raced over from the other end of the corridor.

"Fran! Nono!"

Balthier called he reached them and pulled the viera onto her feet, "What's going on?!"

"The airship…something was wrong with the airship…"

The moogle groaned as a sheet of smoke encompassed them,

"Kupo!!!"

The ship gave an ominous lurch and Balthier slid to his knees, the viera tightened her stance and looked around, her senses screaming at her,

"The ship! It's losing altitude!!" She yelled as Balthier clambered back onto his feet. The moogle followed more slowly, and peered into the engine room,

"Sir!!" He shouted, "The reinforcements on the engine are coming loose kupo!!"

"Damn!!" The sky pirate exclaimed back. He gritted his teeth and thought for a second, then ordered, "Nono! Stay here and try to keep the engine running for as long as possible. Fran! Come with me to the controls! We have to land this girl somewhere!!"

"Yes sir!"

"Right!"

The moogle grabbed a wrench from the many tools strewn over the floor and darted into the room, his form was soon lost to the issuing smoke.

"Be careful!" Balthier added as he grabbed the viera's arm and they raced across the unsteady floor of the hall.

They both tumbled into the cockpit as the ship gave another ominous lurch. Balthier managed to grip the edge of the pilot's seat and pull himself up. He quickly grabbed for the steering controls, but a look out the windscreen was enough to make both his head and stomach spin.

"Fran!" He shouted, "Where's the nearest landing?!"

The viera had managed to compose herself at the controls and was now busily switching through the many screens, "South! Thirty degrees east! There is an open plain!"

Balthier glanced at the map that his partner was deducing and threw all his weight on the steering level to the right. Fran stared at him in surprise as the room shock violently around them,

Balthier what are you doing?" She questioned as the earth began to enlarge furiously in their view. She was afraid his ability to navigate might have been impaired by panic, after all, she had told him to go east! Not west! She was about to correct him when he replied, "Trust me."

The airship glanced over a huge rock jutting out from the earth and dropped into a canyon. Fran could feel herself backing away in fear of a subsequent crash. They closed in dangerously to the ground and could now make out the crevices and cracks lining the dry earth that they were about to collide with.

The front of the airship hit the hard ground and skidded for a moment before becoming caught in one of the many uneven cracks, then the pair of sky pirates were suddenly thrown into darkness as the tail of the Strahl toppled over its head. Both Fran and Balthier had abandoned any ability to steer and were now holding on for dear life as they felt everything around them, including themselves become upside down. Then they were met with a flash of the lightening morning sky as the airship toppled over itself again into its correct position and everything became still.

Fran opened her eyes; she wasn't even aware of when she had actually strained them shut. She turned her head slowly to the side to see the pilot sprawled out on his seat with a dazed expression.

"You-! Are you mad Balthier!?"

She shrieked at him, anger flaring up within her as she realised their near death experience. Balthier grinned vacantly and said, "Look at the map…"

"The viera turned to the flickering screen in front of her, as arrow was pointing at their current location: Bervenia.

"It was…a perfect landing." He finished.


	8. Reminescence

**Chapter 8 - Reminescence**

"Wow! Just look at her! Our new airship, the Atelier!!"

The blond boy spoke as he raised his arms up and rested them behind his head. He gazed up at the new airship with pride and admiration in his eyes.

"Atelier? Why couldn't we call her the Beirouge?"

His female companion asked as she came up next to him. He gave her a disbelieving look and replied, "Because Atelier sounds way better!"

"Only because you came up with it!" The girl retorted as she placed her hands on her hips and frowned at him. Vaan laughed at her her expression then turned his eyes back onto his new prize, "I've always wanted my own airship," he said with a dreamy expression on his face, "I could go wherever I wanted and not just run errands for Migelo. I could do whatever I wanted; I could hunt for treasure so that we wouldn't have to live as poor orphans anymore. We could make our own living as normal people, and we wouldn't be treated as dirt under their feet anymore. We didn't deserve that, espescially not you Penelo."

"Oh Vaan!" Penelo exclaimed as she looked at him with tearful eyes. She placed an arm on his shoulder and attempted to hold back the tears that were forcing themselves out.

"But it's alright now. I think that Reks would be proud of me, of us, for everything that we've done. We freed Dalmasca like he wanted to. And now, we're sky pirates right?" There was a pause. "Right?" He asked again as he peered over at his silent companion, only to realise she was crying.

"Hey Penelo! Are you okay?!" He asked in surprise, feeling both confused and bewildered at her reaction.

"I-I'm fine." She replied slowly, hastily wiping away the moisture from her face, she continued in no more than a whisper, "It's just that...I'm so...happy."

"You're crying because you're happy?!" Vaan asked still in the same bewildered voice. She nodded with a faint smile, "I'm just so glad that everything turned out okay. On the whole journey, I was worried, always worried that something might happen..." She trailed off softly as her eyes gave way to a whole new set of tears. She leaned onto his shoulder, trying to cover up the fact that she was crying.

"Yeah," Vaan replied as he placed an arm comfortingly on her back, "everything turned out okay."

A silence followed as Penelo continued to sob gently on his shoulder and Vaan stood trying to console and comfort her. He shifted uncomfortingly as drops of tears began to run down his arm to his elbow. His movement caused the girl to look up and she finally realised what she was doing.

"Oh!" she exclaimed embarassed as she began to wipe the moisture off his arm with her sleeve, then did the same for her eyes, "I'm sorry...I shouldn't be acting like this...everything's okay. I should be happy..."

"No problem. But Penelo, now that we can finally do what we want, we should be doing it! Not crying over the fact that we can. We can start out new! As sky pirates, on the Beirouge!!"

"Oh Vaan! You don't have to..!"

"Well, to be honest, I liked Beirouge better. I just didn't want to tell you that.."

Eyes still red from the tears, Penelo smiled serenely at him, making the teenaged boy grin back. "So now that we've decided on a name, I think it's time we go out and find some treasure!" Vaan finished triumphantly. "Yessir!" Penelo replied with mock formality, "But...before we go, shouldn't we get supplies...?" Vaan gave her a confused look, "Like food?" She continued.

"Yeah...I guess..." Vaan said scratching the back of his head, his eyes moving longingly onto the airship. The girl could read his mind clearly as she spoke, "Well, we don't both have to go. I can get the supplies and you can take her out for a little spin."

His eyes brightened, but her asked, "Are you sure that's okay?"

"Why not? Don't think I can take care of myself in the Bazaar? Where I'm surrounded by shoppers and kids?" She asked with a laugh. "And like you said, you've always wanted your own airship, so I won't stop you."

"Thanks Penelo!"

"Just make sure you're back in an hour."

Vaan didn't need any more encouragement. He raced onboard the ship and immediately jumped into the pilot's seat. Penelo watched as he set into flight and the airship raced away into the horizon. As it flew out of sight, Penelo almost wished she was going with him, but somebody had to be the responsible one she told herself. She could picture Vaan going off onto a long hunt, only to realised as he was halfway through that he had forgotten to bring food, changes of clothes, and maybe even his sword!

Penelo decided to make a trip to the Bazaar first, then later return to Migelo's to grab their packs. Migelo's Sundries was still their official residence when they returned and they had spent the last couple of weeks getting themselves back into their old life. It was hard, after running all over Ivalice, sticking to one town became much too tame. But it looked as if it would change once again now. Their home would soon be the whole of Ivalice, thay could travel anywhere and be restricted by no one.

She stopped by a stall that sold medicine and food. She had learnt that a first aid kit was essential when travelling. After all the scratches and injuries that the party had substained on their heroic journey, she would have been a fool to go without them. She passed over the money to buy a few potions and antidotes, and a large bundle of food. The vendor handed her the large brown paper bag with the expression that he was sure she would not be able to carry it. She lifted it smootly into her arms and with a smile at the amazed vendor's face she headed off for the next stall.

Small glints of light sparkles from all around it; it was a crystal vendor. The clear gems turned in the sun and glittered gently as Penelo came over to inspect them. Their were many sizes, and they were all cut to the best possible shapes for reflecting the light. Penelo wanted to get one, but maybe next time she thought to herself. After Dalmasca's freedom, Rabanastre had been flocked with visitors and tourists, and many vendors were taking advantage of the sales by raising their prices. If she waited until after the coronation, the prices were sure to decrease.

Now to Migelo's, she thought to herself as she sidestepped a puddle and skipped over another. A roaring now above her caught her attention as a large airship came down for a landing at the Aerodome. She smiled up at the airship dotted blue sky. It was how she remembered it to be, back when her parents were still alive. People were free and happy, they had their pride and the city lived in peace. Her parents would have loved to see this,and they would have been proud of her for playing a part in it. She shook her head, no, it's over now, they aren't going to come back, there was no point in hoping, but at least she could live, she could live for all of them.

Penelo found herself at the door to Migelo's Sundries without realising she had even walked that far. With a shrug, she pushed open the door and stepped into the cool room. A little boy immediately noticed her and raced over, "Whatcha doing here Penelo? I thought you would have been at the Aerodome with Vaan?"

"Hi Kytes! We're planning on going on a hunt soon, for treasure. I just came by to get the bags and tell Migelo."

"Migelo's not here. He had to go to the palace to help with the coronation."

"Well then, could you tell him where we went please?"

"But I want to go with you and Vaan! I wanna be a sky pirate too!!"

"Sorry Kytes, but you have to stay here and hand over our message. And since Migelo is going to be gone so often, you have to look after the shop for him."

"Aww...well next time you go, promise me you'll let me go too!"

"I'll have to think about it. If you look after the shop really well, then maybe we'll take you for a ride around Rabanastre sometime."

"Really?! Thanks Penelo! Well I better get to work on the shop then!"

Penelo smiled as the boy quickyl rushed off to straighten up the shelves. She headed past the counter into the back room. The two packs sat on the ground half opened as they had been left. She put down the groceries and began to tighten up the bags and close the pockets. Once the two packs were once again in an orderly state, she hoisted them both onto her back and picked up the paper bag. Staggering slightly, she made her way out towards the Aerodome once again.

Penelo was glad for all the extra strength she had accumulated from the journey; at least she only had to make one trip for everything. Though she had two large packs hanging off her back and a large paper bag pinned to her chest. She entered the glass doors of the large building puffing and struggled into the hanger, once she was within its confines, she dropped everything and collasped to her knees. She looked up at the clock on the wall, still fifteen minutes to go, might as well take a break.

_Since I had two suggestions on the name of Vaan's airship, I chose the one I thought looked better lol. Though I believe that 'Beiluge' seems to more of a correct translation to the Japanese name...Anyway, this chapter sure was long...so, thanks for reading!_


	9. Catching Up On Old Friends

**Chapter 9 – Catching Up On Old Friends**

"Maybe I should write a letter…?"

The blond pigtailed girl asked herself as she sat on the wooden floor of the hangar. She fiddled restlessly with the straps on the two large packs that lay next to her.

"I'm sure they'll want to know how we're doing, and I better remind them about the coronation."

Penelo opened one of the side pockets on the nearest bag and pulled out a pen and a sheet of paper. She tapped the top of the pen gently on her chin as she wondered how she should begin. With a reminiscent smile, she began, "Dear Larsa and Basch…"

Penelo wrote down everything she could remember from the last month since she and Vaan had returned to Rabanastre; the return to Migelos', the Strahl napping, and their new airship, the Beirouge. She then continued to their plans; "…Vaan and I are going to Bervenia to find treasure! But I'm sure we'll be back in time for Ashe's coronation, we wouldn't miss it for the world! I can't wait to see you both again, it's felt like so long, but in two weeks time, we'll all be together again! And that's including Fran and Balthier. I'll make sure they come too!

I hope you two aren't working too hard in Archades. We'll see you at the coronation. Love, Penelo.

She folded the letter and slid it into an envelope. Just enough time to send it the girl thought to herself as she got up gracefully and glanced at the clock. She strolled out into the Aerodome lobby, passing the noisy crowds of people waiting for their flights and over to the post office. She handed it over to the clerk with a friendly grin and then returned to the hangar, with the thought, 'Now…he better be on time!' on her mind. She entered the hanger to find it still empty, and the packs and groceries still sitting where she had left them. With a shrug, she stepped into the room, and at that exact moment, the roof of the hanger came to life and slowly began to open.

Light flooded in from the growing cross shaped opening, blinding her until she drew up her hand to shield her eyes. A large white airship descended into the open space, and dropped lower into the confines of the hanger. Penelo watched as it bumped into a landing before her, causing the ground to ripple with its weight. The paper bag tipped over with the quake and the topmost items rolled out; apples.

Once the hanger became still once again, Penelo quickly rushed in to retrieve the objects. The apples had rolled away to distant ends of the room and the teenaged girl found herself scurrying from one corner to another. The door to the airship opened and the young pilot stepped out, an ecstatic grin covering his face, "Hey Penelo! It was great! It's even better than the Strahl! You have to come for a trip!! ...uh…Penelo..?"

Vaan looked around at the absence of a reply and found that he had been addressing thin air. "…Penelo…?" He asked again.

"Over here." A muffled female voice replied. Vaan could have sworn it had come from below the airship, and tentatively, feeling a little foolish as well, bent over and peered under the wing. He was met with the face of the blond girl whom was crouched low upon the ground with an arm outstretched towards an apple that rested against his shoe. He grinned and picked it up, then polished it on his arm and took a bite. His companion got to her feet and dusted herself off, "Hey! That's for the journey!" She admonished when she saw the missing gap in the apple he was holding. Vaan shrugged and took another bite as Penelo raced over to him and tried to grab it from his hand. He sidestepped her and raised the source of annoyance for the girl above his head. Penelo frowned as she tried to reach the half eaten apple above her and failed by a few inches. She gritted her teeth and without warning, jumped. Taken by surprise, the boy reacted in a smooth reflex and she missed again, but the movement cause her to lose her balance as she landed again and she fell into him. Vaan automatically raised an arm around her almost like an embrace to steady her. It finally hit him one second later that her body was pressed against his and he immediately let go, feeling the colour rise up in his face. Penelo peered at him curiously, unaware that anything unusual had occurred, and Vaan, trying to avoid the awkward moment, took another bite of the nearly consumed apple.

There was only a core left in his hand now, and Vaan quickly took it upon himself to put it away responsibly, by taking it to the bin, which was, conveniently, on the other side of the hanger. Once he had disposed of it, he turned back to the girl, sure now that his face was finally back to it's original colour.

"We should get going." He said in the most normal voice he could muster, and started towards the entrance to the airship. The blond girl nodded and raced after him, through the door and up the stairs. Penelo could not help but stare in awe when she reached the top. She knew it was going to be large from seeing the airship from the outside, but this looked like the inside of a mansion! And what thrilled her more was that it was theirs!!

From what she could see, she had entered a meeting room; as it was fitted with a large table in the centre and chairs surrounding it. Coming off from this room, she noticed a kitchen and on the other end, a doorway leading upstairs.

It was then that she noticed that Vaan was calling her from the base of the staircase and hurried over, "Come on! You have to see the cockpit!" He yelled excitedly as they both made their way up the steps, Penelo couldn't help but be caught up in his enthusiasm.

She made it to the top, panting slightly, to find Vaan already occupying his pilot's seat. He grinned at her and indicated the seat next to him, "Your seat, partner." His partner grinned as well and made her way to the chair. She sat down and found herself facing a control panel that resembled that of the Strahls', feeling a warm familiarity with the new airship.

"Ready to go?" Vaan asked from beside her. Penelo nodded slowly, she wasn't sure she could speak with all the excitement welling up inside her.

The airship came to life and Penelo watched out the window as the walls of the hanger moved past, and then suddenly change to a magnificent view of blue skies and the city of Rabanastre. She stared transfixed at the city as the airship finally stopped rising and lingered in the atmosphere; many other airships were taking flight around her or coming in to make a landing and Penelo was suddenly struck with a fear that they might be hit.

"Hold on." Vaan warned as he drew back a large lever and the airship plummeted forwards with a huge surge of energy. Penelo was nearly thrown from her seat, and when she dared look out again, she found that they had cleared all the other airships and were now flying through open ground. She glanced over at her companion and found him sitting completely at ease, leaning back against his chair. He looked as if flying was entirely natural and Penelo felt calmed by his demeanour. She sat back against her seat as well, remembering the time when this had been an everyday exercise. And soon, they would be reunited with old friends. But one thing had changed for sure: they weren't just orphans anymore, they were sky pirates.

_Whew, sorry this chappie took so long. I got caught up in exams and then I brought a new computer it broke down on me and...well, it's a long story. And for people who are still bothering to read this fic, thanks!_


	10. Royal Connections

**Chapter 10 – Royal Connections**

The Emperor of Archadia sat before a large mahogany desk. He was a young boy of only thirteen years, but had a workload that was considerable for somebody even twice his age. Paper was strewn over every inch of the desk so that only the very tips of the corners were visible, but the boy was no longer paying attention to them. His eyes were now rested on the trickling of the small stream that ran past.

Larsa tried not to think of all the work he still had to do. Technically, he was not Emperor until he turned eighteen, but with the deference and public respect of his most trusted advisor, Judge Gabbranth, or Basch has he had once been known, the entire city seemed to look towards him as if he had already been crowned. And so Larsa was given work fit for the emperor. He had to admit, he had looked forward to it at first; being given the role he had witnessed his father and older brother assume, now it was his turn to stand tall in their place. But after the days of non-stop calls by every political advisor in Archadia looking for a meeting, Larsa had finally decided that he would take it all in and look it over in his own time, which was what he was still doing now, along with maintaining the everyday structure of the city. But the young emperor wasn't sorry he had been given the job. With his input, and the co-operation of two bordering neighbours, he could bring about a whole new realm of peace that Ivalice had always dreamed of. He looked back down at the sheets that littered the desk and with a sign began to tidy them up, but before all that happened, he would have the deal with all the paperwork.

As he grabbed a handful of pages and straightened them with gentle bangs against the smooth surface of the table, an envelope fell from the centre of the pile. He put down the sheets and picked it up; the letter was addressed to him. Turning it over, he found the name of the sender and where it had come from; it was a letter from Penelo.

He opened it and scanned the parchment with a wry smile, correspondence from his friends was rare, seeing as they were all working on their own new plans for life. The letter was written much less formal than all the others he had been receiving lately, including one from Ashe that invited him and Basch to her coronation ceremony, and Larsa was glad to see that he still had proper friends who would speak to him as a normal human being. From his return to Archadia after the fall of the Bahamut, he had been showered in people that either treated him with some kind of worship, or worse, treated him as a child, incapable of understanding the world of 'grown ups' and having to have all explanations made to him in very simple terms. In fact, without Basch, Larsa thought he would have gone mad. He had only known Basch for a small time, but because Basch looked exactly like his twin, who was the original judge Gabbranth and Larsa's guardian, Larsa easily warmed up to the man, and sometimes, Larsa felt awkward to admit, he forgot that this wasn't the same man that he had once been under the care of, and rambled to him about the past. He was glad that Basch was considerate about it, for he would just nod and smile faintly at these moments, though Larsa knew that Basch didn't have the slightest idea of what he was going on about.

The thought of his most loyal advisor made Larsa wonder where he was at that moment. He had just finished reading the letter and wanted to pass it onto him, as Basch received just as little correspondence from their friends as the young emperor did. Larsa thought he had imagined it as he heard the sound of footsteps, but as he turned his head to the path, he could see somebody approaching dressed in full, but familiar armour.

"A letter for you." Larsa said to the approaching judge and held out the parchment towards him. The armoured man removed his helmet and looked quizzically at the young boy, who returned his looked with a grin. Basch took the proffered sheet and glanced at the writing, then with a reminiscing smile, began to read. By the time he was done, his feet had somehow found their way to the edge of the stream, and Basch felt himself falling into the memories of the past events. He stood with his head bowed in revered silence for the brother he had lost, hearing only the sound of the water trickling and the gentle scrapes of paper against wood behind him.

Basch jumped when a voice spoke from next to him, "You will be attending the coronation?"

Larsa had appeared next to him, though Basch had no idea how he could have made it over without him hearing, "If Your Majesty requires an escort?"

"Of course. But I have a feeling we both may be expected." The young emperor replied with a flicker of a grin at the letter that Basch still held, "But with our absence, Archades will require somebody to fill in. Judge Gabbranth, I would like you to determine the candidate."

There was a silence as Basch wondered whom he could entrust with the governing of Archades, if only for a few days. After a moments pause, he replied, "I believe Judge Zaargabath will look after the city accordingly. I hold him in good faith."

"As do I. We shall depart for Rabanastre in a fortnight, best we began our preparations."

"Than I shall speak to Zaargabath. I will see you at the feast tonight." Basch finished with a small bow of reference to the emperor before leaving the patio. Larsa turned back towards the paperwork covering the desk with another sigh, it would be best to have it all sorted out before they leave.


	11. Treasure Hunting

**Chapter 11 – Treasure Hunting**

"Nono, I need you to fix the airship. Get this old girl ready to fly by the time we return."

"Yes sir! Kupo!" The moogle replied enthusiastically as he waved at the departing backs of the hume and viera.

"You really think it wise to search for treasure in our current situation?" The viera asked her partner when they were out of earshot of the moogle.

"A good a time as any," The hume replied as they headed into the direction of some old ruins that dotted the horizon, "and Nono had yet to fail on me." He added with conviction. Fran did not reply, she knew it was hard to win over the favour of the sky pirate. If he could trust the moogle to accomplish the task, she would have no doubts.

The couple made their way over the dusty cliffs, climbing over boulders and marching over the dry, cracked earth. The scenery consisted of nothing but shades of brown, as if the sun had faded away all colour from their surroundings. The land was uneven and usually caused travellers to either jump of climb their way across, and Balthier soon found himself wandering alone, as his viera companion traversed the area with swift ease. He continued to walk, feeling the heat of the sun burning the back of his neck. From the position of the great fireball, he could tell it was past midday. Balthier began to wonder how far Fran had gotten as he trudged along, feeling an inkling of annoyance at her for leaving him to bake in the heat, conveniently forgetting that she too had travelled over the sun baked earth that he now traversed. He looked up from the miserably dry ground to see if he could maybe spot her in the distance, and as if she had read his mind, he found the viera standing not too far away under a rock overhang, her pack stowed safely in the darkest corner of the shade.

"I thought you were more eager for that treasure." Fran said teasingly as he approached.

"I will be once I see it." Balthier replied as he grabbed the water bottle Fran offered him and gulped down the contents. He placed the half empty bottle on the ground and dropped his pack beside him, "Any idea how far this Cache is?"

"The entrance to the ruins can be seen not too far ahead. As long as this hunt proceeds well, we shall be there by nightfall."

"As long as the hunt proceeds well you say? My dear Fran, when have I ever spoiled a hunt?" Balthier asked with a coy grin.

"You mean besides that time two years ago when you decided to play with your weapon and caused a wound to my leg?" Fran retorted, refusing to fall for the charismatic charm of her partner. Balthier's expression fell, but he replied, "Touche' Fran. But don't forget, it was I who saved your life on the airship Bahamut. And from what I believe, it was you who went and loaded my gun that day, without my knowledge."

Fran opened her mouth to return the argument, but before she had a chance to speak, she felt a huge forced ram against her and she felt herself flying. She crashed to the ground a distance away from where she once stood, and in her panicked gaze she found a huge winged beast. Her arms immediately sought out her bow and arrows, but with the sinking feeling of realisation, as he arms felt nothing but her own wavy hair, the image of her weapons sitting peacefully in the corner of the dark overhang flashed in her mind. The beast let out a huge shriek and flew towards her, talons flashing and the viera could do nothing but draw her arms over her face and curl herself up into the tightest ball possible. The sharp claws swiped at her and Fran was suddenly and horrible aware as she opened her eyes that she had hanging in midair, the creature having grabbed her and pulled her into the skies. She could faintly hear somebody call her name, but she did not pay attention as she struggled. She could see the distance between the ground and herself grow larger, and knew that if she didn't get off soon, it would become impossible. The avarian beast suddenly let out a huge scream of pain as a gun rang in Fran's eardrums and the claws released her. Fran felt herself falling towards the earth, another bang and the creature was falling too. She clamped her eyes shut, fearing the impact she was about to make when suddenly, a loud crash resounded in her ears and she was sure it was the end, until she realised she had landed against something softer than she expected. Fran opened her eyes to eyes of hazel brown and found herself in the arms of the sky pirate, the beast unmoving on the ground not too far away. Balthier grinned at her, "So does this make up for being shot in the leg?"

"I suppose it does."

"Good." Balthier added as he got her back onto her own feet and they started back to the overhang to grab their bags. "Because I was afraid you might get revenge of a similar nature in the future."

Balthier watched his companion grab her own pack and weapons and sling them over her shoulder, then begin walking down the path. He wondered if he had made her mad, but then she stopped and turned around, "If you do not hurry, it will be sooner before we possess any great treasure at all." She said with a faint smile, "And it would be a shame to lose my advantage on a wasted hunt."

"Fran, when you travel with the leading man, the hunt is never lost." Balthier called as he grabbed his own pack and ran after her.

The trip over the dust encrusted land took another few hours, and as the sun began to shine its last rays of light over the horizon, the pair of sky pirates finally stopped before a darkened entrance. The area they had reached was made up of ancient buildings, left fallen to waste hundreds of years earlier. The couple peered into the large gap curiously, the path that led inside was pitch black, but from the rank smell that issued from within, it seemed like the entrance led far beyond, into dark recesses almost like that of a cave.

"We should make camp for tonight. It would be foolish to wander within the darkness." The viera said smoothly as she placed the bag she carried onto the ground and began to unpack. Balthier nodded, far too tired to reply and followed her actions, but not without a longing look into the mysterious depths of the long forgotten ruins.


	12. First Hunt

**Chapter 12 – First Hunt**

"You do know the way right?"

The blond pigtailed girl asked curiously to the pilot of the airship. She wore an expression of worry, though she tried to mask it with carelessness in her tone of voice. The boy beside her picked up on her hidden emotion immediately, "Of course I do!" He replied enthusiastically, and pointed at the map before them both, "Look, we're heading south, past the plains and Mt Bur-Omisace, Bervenia is supposed to be just before we reach Rozzaria."

"Supposed to be?" Penelo asked incredulously. Vaan shrugged, "It's not on the map, so I had to guess."

"I wonder why it's not on here…?" Penelo wondered as she scanned the image before her, trying to ignore the bit of panic she felt at their situation. Her eyes followed the space between the two marked labels reading "Rozzaria" and "Mt Bur-Omisace", but there didn't seem to be any other landmark.

"Relax." Vaan said assuring to her, "Sky pirates are supposed to explore new places right?" Without thinking, he reached over and put his hand on top hers to stop her from fidgeting with the edges of her sleeves. She looked over at him in surprise, her eyes connecting with his and Vaan couldn't help but feel a flash of warmth erupt inside him. He hastily withdrew his hand and attempted to focus on the flying of the airship, looking anywhere but at her, though it was tough, seeing as how she was now peering at him curiously from all angles to understand what had gone on. A glance at the map gave him the perfect reason to stop her from staring,

"Hey Penelo. We just passed Mt Bur-Omisace. We should keep a lookout for Balthier's ship."

"Right!" She replied, her eyes quickly adverting themselves onto the expanse of land before them. There was a period of silence where only the hum of the motor could be heard as the pair of sky pirates focussed on their tasks. But it wasn't long before the blond haired girl made another outburst, "Look! There Vaan! I think it's the Strahl!!" Vaan pulled himself up towards the window as closely as he could and his head suddenly connected with the glass with a loud bump. He rubbed it grudgingly as the girl giggled. Turning away from the sight of the parked airship below them, he said,

"Yeah, can't believe we found them. They better not have the treasure yet."

Penelo sighed and the airship sailed down towards the rocky landscape. She looked worriedly at the scene, her eyes glancing over the rocky uneven landscape, then over at her companion, "You think you can land here? Doesn't look like it's easy."

"Balthier did, didn't he? So we're gonna do it too."  
Penelo watched as the ground became larger and larger in her view, and at the last second, clamped her eyes shut. But the landing was much smoother than she expected. With a small bump and vibrations that rattled the ship, the Beirouge came to a standstill not too far from the other airship that was parked on the rough terrain.

"See Penelo! Told ya I could do it!" Vaan called to his companion as she peered out onto the land they now rested on. She looked at him with admiration, "Wow, you really are a sky pirate, aren't you Vaan?"

"Not until we find some treasure! Now let's go see if Balthier and Fran are still here!"

"Okay!!" Penelo replied with enthusiasm and jumped out of her seat, racing towards the exit with Vaan at her heels. They ran across the cracked earth to the dusty Strahl.

"They must be home." Vaan commented as they stood before the open entrance to the airship. Penelo grinned and with a laugh, they both ran up the steps.

"Balthier? Fran?" Vaan called as they made their way through the familiar rooms, but there was no reply. They looked around, the place seemed quite deserted, but then faint noises from the engine room made them head towards it in a hurry. As they rounded the hall into the room, Penelo cried, "Hey look-….!"

The pair were greeted not by the duo of sky pirates they hoped to meet but a moogle.

"Nono..?" She asked tentively. The moogle jumped at the voice. Then turned and rushed forward to greet them, "Penelo and Vaan kupo! It's a surprise to see you here!"

"Err..Nono, where are Balthier and Fran?"

"They have gone to find treasure! The Cache of Glabados kupo! I have to take care of the ship so that it is ready when they return kupo!"

Vaan frowned, "I can't believe it…" Penelo nodded in empathy to his expression, but looked scandalised when her companion continued, "…now we'll never get the treasure before they do!!"

"Vaan!" She cried in exasperation, she was about to continue to rebuking him, but then instead took a breath and instead turned to the moogle, "How long as it been since they went searching?"

"Kupo? …I would say, three days now kupo."

"Well we're going to go after them. And we better hurry or we'll be late for Ashe's coronation." Penelo said as she began to leave the room, "Come on Vaan!" She called with a wave to him as she headed for the airship's exit. "Bye Nono!" She added as Vaan followed her out.

They travelled over the rough earth, trudging almost randomly in their attempt to find their old friends. The sun was rising high in the sky and the pair were starting to become exhausted. They had just clambered over a large crack in the dry terrain when they caught sight of something unusual up ahead.

"Look at that!" Penelo called as the pair of teenagers rushed over to a large scaly mould that lay on the ground. "Balthier and Fran must have passed here."

"Yeah," Vaan replied as he knelt over to look at the monster more closely, "look, there are bullet marks. Well, at least we know we're going the right way."

"Yeah. I was kinda hoping that it would be easy to find. But there aren't any tracks or paths here to follow."

"At least we know that all the monsters have been taken care of though." Vaan replied cheerfully. "Better keep going though. It's too hot to stand out here."

"Hey Vaan," Penelo called, she had walked a little further up and Vaan got up and dusted himself off before going over to her. "Look over there. Could that be where they are…?" She pointed towards the ruins before them, though still quite far off, the dark entrance into the ruins was visible.

"Yeah, looks like it." He replied, shielding his eyes with his hand to get a better view. "Let's go Penelo! We can't let Balthier get all the treasure!"

Penelo grinned, amused at his constant affixation to his new rival. She watched him race away towards the distant ruins, sword and pack swinging wildly on his back, then with a laugh, headed off after him.


	13. Rivals

**Chapter 13 – Rivals**

The pair of teenagers stumbled through the dark. The cave was dank, rocky and issued a smell of dirt and moisture. The girl trembled as she followed her companion in; the cave was practical freezing compared to where they had just come from, and the constant breezes that tore past were almost piercing to the skin.

"I can't believe…it's so..c-cold here," The girl said, trying to stop her teeth from chattering as she continued to step into the blustery wind.

"Come on Penelo," the boy called as he turned back to see her, he was shivering slightly too, "It shouldn't be too far. And just think of the treasure we're going to find at the end."

Penelo nodded, too cold to reply and continued to trudge over the rocky surface. As they continued, the floor which they tread began to show signs of nature; moss was growing from the cracks and the floor was covered with either a layer of water or slime, neither of them bothered to check. The walls were also covered in the gunk, and so the pair made their way through carefully, trying not to rub against it as they walked. The wind had died down now, and the air seemed stagnant, as if it had been residing in the dark crevice for a long time; it could almost be described as the bad breath of the cave.

The echoing footsteps ahead of her stopped, and Penelo looked up to see why her companion had stopped walking. He stood still, with his back still towards her and Penelo quickened her pace to see what was wrong.

"Vaan..?" She asked as she came up beside him. She looked up at his face to find him staring ahead of them. Instinctively, Penelo reached for his limp arm and held it close as she turned to look at what he was seeing. She was surprised when she noticed that they had walked into what seemed like a hall, with numerous doorways lining both sides. Each opening looked identical, with no indication of which might hold the priceless treasure, and beyond each one, a long dark trail leading off into nothingness.

"Great…" Vaan spoke, making her jump. "We'll never find the right one…"

Penelo did not reply, she couldn't think of anything to say. For once, he was right she thought as with a wry on her face. It would take much too long to make their way to the end of every tunnel, and their supplies could never accommodate such a long trip.

An echo sounded from one of the doorways, the sound resonating into the hall in which they stood. The couple turned immediately towards it just as another echo rang. Vaan quickly drew his sword, and Penelo, with an anxious expression on her face drew out her crossbow and aimed it into the darkness where the sound issued from. The sound was becoming louder now, and the pair braced themselves for something unknown, most likely a beast that had been wandering throughout the ruins for centuries. A figure was starting to appear in the doorway, making the two teenagers tighten their hold on their weapons. It was coming closer…soon it would be in full view…

"Well, well, look who it is." A familiar voice spoke from the dark figure. Another figure had appeared behind it, taller and bearing distinct ears of a rabbit, "It seems we have company; a sky pirate is never without followers."

Both Vaan and Penelo dropped their weapons, which cluttered loudly onto the stone hewn floor and raced towards the figures as they stepped out into full view.

"Balthier! Fran! Wow, I can't believe we found you! We've all missed you so much!" Penelo cried happily as she gazed upon them. The pair of older sky pirates smiled, and the male lifted his arm to wipe his face and hair back, "Fancy meeting you here. Nice place for a reunion isn't it?"

"But didn't you ask us to come here? You left a note telling us you'd be in Bervenia?" Penelo asked curiously. Balthier grinned and replied, "I didn't expect you to come, no. The note was more of a way to make Vaan jealous. Couldn't help but tease him a little after all."

There was a few seconds where Penelo blinked, trying to take in this new information. Then she turned to look at the two smiling faces of her lost friends and couldn't help laughing herself. Vaan meanwhile, was looking unjust,

"You mean you didn't think I could be a sky pirate?!" He asked indignantly, stepping up to his former idol and attempting to stare him down, "For your information, I got everyone out of the battlefield while you were busy playing the 'leading man' on the Bahamut!"

"Please Vaan, a sky pirate never raises his voice, and definitely not in the presence of ladies." Balthier replied smoothly. Vaan clenched his teeth, unable to retaliate and Penelo blushed beside him, obviously taken by the charismatic charm of the so said 'leading man'.

"So, have you found any treasure?" Vaan asked, immediately taking the moment to change the subject.

"No. That is to say not yet. But I believe Fran and I are hot on the trail." Balthier replied.

"How many of these tunnels have you searched anyway?" Vaan continued, "We could split up and look."

"There is only on left. And I am certain that treasure is to be found at its end." The viera replied with a voice of deep calm.

"What..? You mean you've searched nearly all of them? And how do you know that there's treasure here anyway? For all you know, somebody might have already taken it."

Balthier smiled at his female companion, whom returned the gesture, then spoke, "Still an amateur I see. My information is never wrong, and having a viera as a partner is an invaluable asset. Didn't I tell you, viera's noses are sharp. We didn't need to search down every last path here, Fran can detect the mist once we were a small way down."

"The mist…?" Penelo asked curiously. Fran nodded and replied, "All ancient palace treasuries are guarded by magicks. Traces of the mist will always linger even after the powerful magicks were to disappear. I sensed mist resonating from this place before we entered, and now with only one pathway remained unseen, I can assure it will be the direction towards the treasury. I will be able to sense it once we have begun to travel its path."

"Right. Now that you're all up to date, I suggest we continue our hunt." Balthier said as he turned to walk down the hall to the last doorway. Fran followed, her heels clicks echoing within the room. Penelo turned to Vaan, who shrugged, then they both raced after the pair of more experienced sky pirates down the path towards the treasure of Bervenia.


	14. Success and Failure

**Chapter 14 – Success and Failure**

"Well, what do you think Vaan?"

The older man asked the blond teenager who was following behind him. The boy looked up curiously, to see the back of the older sky pirate, then leaned to the right to look past him into the chamber they had just entered.

"Whoa!!!" Vaan exclaimed, utterly bewildered at what he was seeing; a room glittering with jewels and treasures, every inch of floor covered in objects beyond his imagination. He hastily shoved past the older sky pirate and stepped into the glow. His blond pigtailed female companion followed with enthusiasm, walking in alongside the viera and older man, and her mouth open with awe. Penelo could not suppress a gasp as she laid her eyes onto the treasures that surrounded them, it was like a childhood dream, one she never thought could have ever existed. She stepped up to the closest shining object and glazed at it, not daring to touch.

"Surprised, I daresay?" Balthier spoke with amused experience, his voice bringing the pair of blond teenagers out of their reverie. Vaan, whom was about to reach out to a glittering gold cup turned back to him, "Yeah!!" He exclaimed, "This is it! We found real treasure! We're sky pirates now!!"

"Hold it." Balthier replied calmly, breaking the feeling of euphoria that was drenching the younger boy, "You're not a sky pirate until you've successfully, and I repeat, successfully, removed treasure from its safe house."

"How hard can that be?" Vaan replied, "All we have to do is grab everything and pile it up in our bags and then we're outta here."

"Wait." Balthier said sternly, "not until Fran can tell us it's safe." He turned towards the rabbit eared woman as he spoke, as so did the two teenagers with hugely curious expressions on their faces. The viera did not respond to their eagerness, she instead took a few steps slowly into the chamber, her eyes closed, her head lifted high and her ears twitching gently. The silent was deathly as they awaited the outcome, indeed Vaan was swaying with anticipation as he forced himself to stay quiet while the viera made her decision, but Fran took her time; haste would only ruin this hunt they had taken so long to acquire. Then she sensed it; within the remains of the serene mist, something more sinister, waiting for somebody to come. She opened her eyes abruptly, seeing the three faces turned towards her.

"No." She spoke firmly, in complete opposition to her trembling mind, "There is something. I sensed it, there are magicks still within this treasure. It will claim the life of any who touches it."

"What?!" The expression in the blond teenagers' face was both disbelieving and defiant as his outburst exploded from him. How could they come this far to fail now? "So, you're saying we can take any of it with us!?"

"Vaan!"

"Vaan…"

Both Balthier and Penelo reacted at his outburst. The older sky pirate turned back towards the viera and asked in a voice of rational calm, "There is no other way?"

"Not unless you wish to remain here within the ruins forever."

Penelo looked worriedly over at her companion, Vaan had turned his back and was now lgazing on the treasures that were so close to his reach. She was about to approach him and offer some form of comfort when somebody suddenly cried out in pain. She whirled around to see the viera falling limp within the sky pirate's arms. Vaan had also turn at the call.

"The mist! It seethes from below the earth! We must leave now!"

"What-?" Vaan asked immediately, his voice pitched in confusion.

"Earthquake Vaan! And we're in ruins, don't you remember? We have to get out of here now!"

But before the older sky pirate had even finished his reply the ground below their feet began to give way. The coins that littered the room were shaking with the tension, and before anybody could move, the cup that Vaan had been admiring not too long ago slipped from its stand, it hit the lurching ground and bounced back up, coming into contact with the boy's heel. The effect was instantaneous. The ceiling above their heads gave an ominous creak and suddenly released itself from the bearings on the walls. A loud screech filled the room as the group stood dumbstruck at the new threat. Without thinking, Vaan suddenly turned and threw himself at the girl standing paralysed in shock.

Everything was shaking and it was impossible to see properly, streaks of dust and gold smeared his vision and the creaking sound of the falling ceiling as it made its downward plight filled his view. All he could think of was getting her out of there alive. They both went soaring through the gap they had only just entered, hitting the ground just as a loud crash sounded behind them. Dust streaked out over them from the fallen roof and also fragments of loose gold. Vaan looked down to find himself on top of his female companion, she held a shocked expression on her face and was breathing in fast rapid breaths as her mind wondered on their near death experience. But it wasn't over yet. Vaan quickly got to his feet and pulled the girl up with him, then turned to look back into the room; it was a mess. The ceiling had smashed into the room, and cracked into many large fragments that lay at awkward angles as it found some of its landing areas already filled with large mounds of gold.

"Balthier! Fran!!!" Vaan shouted over the roar of the still shaking ground beneath it, though it seemed much more quieter to him now after experiencing the rattling of the marauders trap. Penelo was behind him, holding tightly onto his arm as she looked over the shattered ruins. They had both still been in there. But it couldn't be, could it? They had only been standing together talking a few seconds ago. Vaan was still shouting out their names, his voice reaching a pitch of desperation as he continued to call. Penelo could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes, and as the earth continued to rattle below her, the drops flew from her face at angles and landed onto the rocky ground below them.

Then as if by some miracle, a hand popped out from a gap between two oddly uneven fragments of ceiling. The multitude of rings on the fingers made it unmistakable as to whom the hand belonged. "Balthier-!!" Vaan yelled, making Penelo look up suddenly in surprise. Noticing the hand too, she quickly rushed in after the blond boy, clambering over the broken setting. They both grabbed the huge fragment of rock covering the figures below and pulled, but nothing happened, the piece was much too big and heavy for them. But they were determined to see their friends freed, and along with their determination, the ground gave another wrenching lurch to the side and the fragment with they were grasping suddenly began to slide, until a gap formed, large enough for them to see inside.

The older, bronze haired sky pirate crouched there, in one arm he cradled a long haired viera, and in the other, he held his gun firmly in an upright position. They had survived from being crushed by the large fragment of rock by the pile of gold resting on one side of them, and by Balthier's gun, which stood on the other end, creating another pillar for which the rock balanced on. But the gun was not so lucky, it had cracked and bent in the middle from the force of the falling ceiling, and for a second as the roof had collided with it, Balthier had been struck with a sudden fear that it might not hold. The relief he felt when finally the rock moved away to expose light and the faces of the two other companions they had travelled with was overwhelming. He had feared they had not been able to get away. He pushed the viera out the gap, where with the help of the teenaged couple she was able to get to her feet, and then clambered out himself, trying to mask to expression of relief on his face and dusting himself off in what was suppose to be his typical behaviour. But the loud crash that sounded from not too far away brought them all back to their senses. "The Mist cools…yet we must hurry, this place will not hold for long." The soothing voice of the viera suddenly said in the verbal silence. Fran was no longer affected by the amount of magic in the atmosphere, but she could still sense the danger they were in; the earthquake may have been slowing beneath them, but the damage it had caused was only just beginning.

"Right. You heard the lady. We move out now!" Balthier called, nobody replied, only nodded in firm acceptance at one another then turned and rushed out the way they had come. Balthier glanced at the shattered weapon he still held firmly in his grasp, then with a non committal shrug, dropped it onto the floor of ruins and raced after the group.

The path they had taken was much different to the one they were now passing through. Now the smooth damp walls were uneven and many cracks and dark recesses had appeared. Vaan was sure he had made a wrong turn as he ran past the unfamiliar landscape, but the Viera companion he had travelled with was sure to have known the way, the sound of her heels clicking on the path right behind him was comforting in a way. Penelo followed after him, puffing as she fought to keep up; the sound of the deep rumbling earth had since ceased, but there would be an occasional creak and crash from somewhere deep within the dwelling that kept the group on their toes as they made for the exit. The running seemed almost endless, and Vaan was reminded of a time when they had once run through dark tunnels, and glancing sideways at the girl that was puffing on beside him, he remembered that it had been for her that they had made the journey; the journey that started it all, he thought as a rush of feeling for her ran through him and he felt himself growing hot, but he passed of the flush of heat as exertion from the race.

"Whoa!!" He slid to a stop and quickly steadied himself from falling forward, as he turned to look at the sudden change in environment; they were back outside. It was dark outside and he realised that it was why he did not noticed he had reached the end of the ruins. He told a deep breath and grinned at the girl beside him, who had also stopped and was now hanging bent over, hands on her knees as she puffed loudly. The sound of footsteps behind him also slowed to a stop, as the viera and hume couple emerged as well. They all stood for a second in silence, captivated by the night sky, where stars glittered and beckoned in welcome. Their battle with death was done, and they had emerged victorious; now the horrible creaks from within cave sounded distant and powerless. They all exchanged relieved smiles with one another, too tired to speak, then began the trudge back to the airships.

"Ahhh….finally back…" Vaan yawned as they stepped into the vicinity of the two large mechanical ships. He stretched his arms up to their full length as he stopped and gazed up at his beloved possession. The other sky pirate came up next to him and followed his gaze, "Fine airship you have. You better take good care of her."

"Wha-at?" Vaan said, obviously feeling insulted by his comment as he turned around to point out the other airship, "Yeah, just like you look after yours!" He said triumphantly as he gestured towards the many scratches and dents that the Strahl had collected on the journey. "Touche' Vaan. Now, how about we stop talking and let our airships finish this?"

"You're on!" Vaan replied as he raced over to the entrance to his ship and stopped; Penelo was just getting on before him. He turned to look back at the other pair of sky pirates, and noticed the wisp of white hair disappearing into the Strahl. Balthier was standing before his entrance with his hands in his pockets, obviously examining something within them. He looked up and noticed the gaze of the younger boy; "Hey Vaan!" The blond boy jogged over, curiously trying to see what his pocket held; his mouth fell open. Balthier held a handful of glittering jewels. "You…you got that from the cave?!" Vaan couldn't help exclaiming loudly, Balthier grinned back smugly, "Vaan, you have a lot to learn on being a sky pirate. One lesson, always be alert for treasure, no matter what the situation. Here." He handed the boy a gold necklace, with a pendant hanging down that sparkled with a large sapphire drop, and three pearls decorating the hinge between the chain and jewel. Vaan stared at him.

"For your girl." Balthier added, dropping the necklace into his hand, Vaan still had a look of disbelief on his face: sky pirates, Balthier in particular, did not relinquish their treasure so easily. "And anyway, could let your first hunt be a complete failure could I?" Balthier finished as he turned and headed off into the Strahl. "Come on! We still have a race to finish!" He called as the door on his ship began to close. Vaan jerked up at the voice, he had still been gazing at the jewel when Balthier had walked off. He grinned up at the older sky pirate, then, stashing the necklace safely into a hidden pocket, he turned and headed off into the Beirouge.

_This chapter was long…lol. I have just started playing Revenant Wings too. The airship is called the Galbana? Oh well. Fitting name though I guess, named after the Galbana Lily right? Anyway, hope you guys liked this chapter. Nearly finished this fic; last chapter next, it'll be called 'Coronation', three guesses what it's about? Lol_


	15. Preparations

**Chapter 15 – Preparations**

"Excuse me Your Highness. All preparations are going to plan." The maid spoke from the doorway of a decorated dressing room as she looked upon the back of the brown haired young woman.

Ashe was facing a large full length mirror; its edge carved with splendid flowers and washed in gold, but it was not the workmanship that the princess was gazing on, but her own reflection. She was trying to fix an ornament into her hair, but the proper method was beyond her. It had been far too long since she last had to make herself proper for any royal event, and the frustration of her failed attempts was building up. Struggling with the tangles, she finally noticed the reflection of the maid, whom stood waiting for her reply.

"Oh, yes…that is…AHH-!" Ashe had torn the ornament from her head in a last ditch effort and found herself exclaiming a profanity as she looked down at the hairpiece which now also contained a lock of her own hair. Her outburst surprised the maid, but she smiled and stepped into the room, "Maybe Your Highness would like some help with that?"

Ashe had already forgotten that somebody had been there with her, and turned modestly red at her recent display. Speaking more at the mirror than the actual person, she replied, "Yes, I would appreciate assistance."

"Here. If you just stay still, I can set the hair into this clasp so that it will stay…" Ashe watched in the mirror, trying to stay as still as possible, though she could still feel the throbbing pain at the back of her head. She watched the maid diligently pull up certain strands of hair, one after another, a look of concentration on her face, and she could see her hair taking shape with the ornament. "…and there we go. All done." The maid finished brightly. Ashe reached up to feel her hair as she looked into the mirror. It was set nice and properly, just as she had pictured herself doing it. "Thank you, for your help." She said. The maid smiled, "It was my pleasure Your Highness. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Ashe looked over at the large ornate chair, on which was draped a silk dress. It was the colour of cream, with gold trimmings and many laces and ties that Ashe decided she would rather have set properly than making herself look like a fool before her people. "Yes, I would require from you a little more assistance."

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"Well, doesn't our young thief look immaculate today." The voice of the older, copper haired man spoke with a hint of derision as he looked upon the boy. Vaan had just stepped out of the room at a private inn in Rabanastre, feeling a little foolish, and the derogatory comment from the sky pirate did not help. He was dressed in a willow coloured tunic set with a fine belt, and dark brown pants, somewhat tighter than his usual. He felt odd in the regalia; it just didn't feel like him and he squirmed uncomfortably.

Balthier sat comfortably on the couch in the lobby, an arm draped over the back; he himself dressed in dark pants and a matching jacket adorn with finery and gold trim. "What about the hair? Planning on actually brushing it?" He added.

"There's nothing wrong with my hair!" Vaan retorted. But he unconsciously reached up and tried to smooth it down. The older sky pirate did not notice. Somebody had just exited a room and was stepping towards them; the clicks of the heels familiar. "Well, aren't you a dashing beauty?"

Vaan quickly turned to see where Balthier was speaking to, and almost gasped. Fran was dressed elegantly in a shimmering purple gown that trailed to her heels. She had also untied her hair and the wavy tendrils now hung sleek and loose around her shoulders. With every step, the dress sparkled with tiny lights, and both men could not help staring. As she seated herself next to the older sky pirate, Balthier could not help but grin smugly as he put an arm around her. This made Vaan aware that he had his own date, and quickly stood up and walked off to the room where Penelo was getting ready. He knocked on the door, unsure if he was bothering her in her preparations. "Yes?" The voice came from within the room. "Hey Penelo, it's me, can I come in?"

"Umm…alright…if you promise not to laugh."

Vaan pushed open the door gently, and found himself facing a neatly made four poster bed, and beyond that, a girl standing before a mirror in a pale blue dress. "Don't laugh!" Penelo exclaimed when she saw him, taking a step back. "I'm not." He replied as he stepped into the room and closed the door, then he looked at his companion again; she was dressed in a gown with a v-cut at the collar, and the fabric, he realised with embarrassment at his thought, clung closely to her figure. The skirt of the dress bloomed out airily, compared to the top of the dress, and almost looked as if there was a permanent breeze making it sway gently all the time. He noticed her hair was tidily put up into pigtails, as usual, but matching blue ribbons had been used to tie them.

"You look…nice." Vaan said, unable to come up with any other word to describe his sudden feeling towards her. Penelo gave him a look almost as if she expected sarcasm, then noticing the look on his face, she blushed and replied, "Well, coming from you Vaan, I will take that as a compliment!" And with that, turned back to check herself in the mirror again.

Vaan sat on the edge of the bed, reaching into his pocket. He drew out the sapphire necklace, unsure of how to present it. "Uh, Penelo?"

"What?" She replied, without looking away from the mirror as she tugged at the corners of her dress worriedly. "I, uh…have something for you…" He continued. Penelo turned to look at him; it was definitely a surprise for him to ever get somebody else anything. She watched him as he hastily stood up from the bed, and held up the necklace for her to see, and she couldn't help but gasp in surprise. "I hope you like it…" He finished slowly, unsure of what her reaction might be.

"Vaan, I love it! Thank you so much!" She replied with delight; her euphoria causing him to smile as well. He stepped closer to her and placed the pendant around her neck, before gently putting the clasp together. Penelo was grinning in delight as she held up the pendant to look at it before inspecting her appearance in the mirror again. "Thank you so much Vaan…" She spoke as she turned back to him and took a step closer.

"Uh…you're welcome…I guess." He replied, reaching to scratch the back of his head in his feeling of awkwardness. Penelo had closed the gap in the time while he wondered what to do next, "Vaan, I…" He looked up at his name and found himself staring into deep brown eyes.

"Hey-!! You two ready yet?" Balthier called as he rapped loudly on the door, making the young couple jump. "We have a coronation to attend, and the leading man does not arrive late!"

The pair broke apart, the moment broken. "Yeah, yeah! We're coming!" Vaan called back in an annoyed tone. Penelo smiled at him, then took his arm and pulled him to the door, "Let's go then Vaan! I can't wait!"

Surprised by her enthusiasm, Vaan allowed himself to be dragged from the room and into the presence of his two rivals and companions. Balthier raised an eyebrow at the new piece of jewellery that Penelo had now donned, but made no comment except to throw Vaan a look of condescending triumph which caused the younger boy to shrug embarrassedly.

Penelo had noticed nothing of the silent conversation between the males, and was now admiring Fran's appearance, "Wow, you look great Fran! That dress is really pretty!" The viera nodded at the compliment with a trace of a smile and replied, "You are dressed for the occasion too Penelo. Though we must hurry now ought we to be late!" She raised her voice at the last sentence, obviously trying to catch the attention of the other members of the group. "Right! All ready to go?" Balthier asked, immediately taking charge. He hurried to the door and opened it, then with an exaggerated bow and flourish, added, "Ladies first."

Fran stepped past first, smoothly and without a word, knowing him too well to feel overly lavished by his actions. Penelo followed, with a bright "Thank you!" at the bowed man, and Vaan, at the tail, stepped out with a mutter of "Show off!" loud enough for the man to hear.

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"We are nearly there Majesty. Shall I send a messenger to the palace in advance?" The armour clad man asked. The young emperor, whom had been gazing out at the city from within the carriage, turned towards the judge. "Yes, I believe so. We must announce our formal arrival in order to give proper respect to the Lady Ashe."

Basch nodded. The boy was growing wiser by the minute, by far a fairer man than his older brother had ever been. He exited the room and motioned for a soldier to come, then sent the message away to the palace. He could see it now, hovering over the rooftops of the other Rabanastran buildings, and felt a surge of, what? Familiarity? Homecoming? He couldn't entirely describe, but it felt good to be going back to the castle in the rule of Dalmascan family again. He took a breath of the fresh cool air of the city and returned to the carriage room where his liege awaited.

"I have just sent a man ahead. Best to make haste in any preparations, they will be awaiting us soon." Basch spoke to the young boy. Larsa nodded, dressed in robes fitting his status, "Yes, I believe we are ready to formally attend the coronation of our Lady Ashe. I do hope all goes to plan."

"I do too. She has fought hard for this, I would hate to see her wronged now." Basch replied, wonderingly. There would always be threats against the royal, no matter how just they were. Her father, his former liege, was subject to such attacks once every so often, though Basch would never understand why. King Raminas was a fair man, whose good intentions and will left Rabanastre a prospering power and land. Larsa was gazing at the passing city once again. When he noticed the Judge watching him, he spoke almost longingly, "This city looks strong again, I hope that Archadia will see such fortune."

"Archadia will. We have come to a time of peace. We have come to an alliance, Rozzaria too. There will be no more bloodshed over the meaningless battles of territory. And with all the rulers adept hands at maintaining this situation, I doubt we would see much of any rebellion." Basch replied, attempting to comfort and encourage the young Emperor whom obviously felt slightly unconfident in his position. He would also be formally announcing the alliance between the four lands of Archadia, Dalmasca, Bhujerba and Rozzaria along with the Marquis Ondore, Al Cid and Ashe.

There was a rap on the door. "Your Majesty, we have reached the palace." A voice called from outside. "I suppose we should not keep her Highness waiting, unless you would rather witness her strength of spirit." Basch said with a wry smile at the younger boy, and was rewarded with a knowing grin of amusement in return.

---------------

"They will be arriving soon! Are all the preparations complete? Has anybody sent a party to greet the guests?!" The soon to be queen questioned agitatedly within the great hall, watching as servants passed her carrying objects ranging from vases to messages and soldiers hurried by to get to their stations. She called out her questions again, but the hall was too busy for her voice to even be heard. She frowned, annoyed that nobody was bothering to alert her to the going ons. She tried again, to no avail and felt anger rise up in her. She was the Queen, and not one to be ignored!

"Your Highness. May I welcome the arrival of the Marquis Ondore of Bhujerba." A servant spoke from behind her. Ashe turned to the speaker with a scowl on her face, and found herself facing a nervous looking soldier, but beyond him stood somebody whom immediately turned her frown into a smile. "Uncle!" She called with delight and almost rushed to hug him, but refrained, knowing that the action would seem inappropriate before the subjects. The Marquis smiled back at his young niece, "Lady Ashe, you look well. Shall we take a stroll before the event begins?" He asked warmly. Ashe nodded, knowing he understood her feelings at this moment. She needed to talk to somebody now, and by somebody, she meant a friend; a person she could trust. All day she had been working alongside strangers, holding back her own thoughts and feelings and acting the part of a 'royal'. Her feelings of confusion and frustration were thrust aside in a corner of her mind, but they always seemed to come back to ail her.

They stepped out into the darkening gardens. Lights had been put up throughout the paths, giving the place a warm iridescent glow. The pair walked through the blooming fields of roses, admiring the sight, before the Marquis finally spoke, "You must be weary from all this excitement now I believe?" Ashe reached out to gently touch the petals on a rose before replying, "Yes. It's been so long since I've had to do such…I feel as if I do not have the ability to rule. How do you do it uncle Halim? I feel so tired; there is always something that I must be attending to." She said with a tone of defeat in her voice.

"You expect to much of yourself young lady. You've grown now, used to be a child without a care in the world. This is the burden of rule. But take my word for it Ashe, it will become easier, and who better to rule Dalmasca, than the princess whom fought for so many years to restore Dalmasca's honour?" He replied serenely. Ashe couldn't help but feel much better. He had always been like that, her uncle. Whenever she was down, he could always lift her up. She smiled at the rose before her, her mind reminiscing on the past. She had been so young when she had reached for a rose from this very spot and attempted to pluck it from the bush. But the sudden pain that had accompanied as the thorns broke through the skin on her palm brought her to tears. Her uncle had picked her up and comforted her; "I was only picking a rose for mummy, and it hurt me! Why did it hurt me uncle?!" She wailed in despair. The man had replied consolingly, "Ashe, the rose does not like being taken from its home. It does not want to be away from its family and friends, that is why it hurt you when you tried to take it away. But to want to take a rose to your mother, only the best girl I know would think to do such a thing! Only she would be as sweet, kind and thoughtful! Right Ashe?"

"Right!" She had replied happily, tears and pain forgotten to the consoling words of her uncle. Ashe smiled, brought back to the present. "Thank you." She murmured. "I suppose we shall head back, the event will begin soon." She added. "They cannot begin until without their Queen. You cannot be late for your own coronation, even if you tried." He finished jovially with a laugh. "But you are right. It seems almost time, let us make our way back."

"Right." Ashe replied, as they both turned and headed back towards the bright lights and the sound of music; she was feeling much better about it all now.

_Wow, didn't think the preparations for the event would end up being this long. Ah well. Hope you enjoyed it. The next, and last chapter will now be 'Coronation'…unless I get sidetracked again and end up writing too much lol. _


	16. Coronation

**Chapter 16 – Coronation**

"Wow…just look at this place! I wonder where Ashe is." The girl at the front of the group wondered out loud, as she looked around in excitement, eyes glistening. Her three companions followed; two hume men and a viera.

The hall was glowing in bright lights and an orchestra played a lively melody, but the music was dampened by the voices of hundreds of people. Flowers adorned corners, tables and chairs, and servants walked about, balancing trays of food and wine on their arms as they swerved around the crowds.

Balthier immediately dropped onto the nearest seat, a long velvet red sofa whose frame was washed in gold. Fran seated herself more gracefully beside him, and the younger couple joined them. Both Vaan and Penelo looked around awkwardly, unsure of what was expected of them, but the older sky pirate; whom was much more accustomed to the occasion, lay back on his seat comfortably and motioned to a nearby servant, calling, "A few glasses here for my friends and I if you please." The servant stepped over and handed glasses of wine from off the tray. They each took one; Balthier with a nod of appreciation, and Vaan and Penelo with bright voices of thanks. But the servant seemed too stunned by their viera companion to notice. He stared at her, obviously attracted, causing her sky pirate companion to put his arm around her and look up at him with a smirk.

The servant turned and walked away as somebody voiced a call for refreshments, and Balthier turned back to the group, with a grin he added, "You have to let others know who your girl is, or you're likely to lose them."

At this comment, both Vaan and Penelo turned red, "We're not…" Vaan said slowly, unless of how to continue. Well, technically they weren't, he thought to himself, but did he want to be…? He glanced over at Penelo, she looked just as uncomfortable as he did.

"Is that right?" Balthier asked, looking the couple over with a snide grin. They both avoided his gaze. He was about to push his point even more when a familiar voice cut in, "Ah, it is good to see you all again."

They all turned to the newcomer; Penelo was the first to exclaim in surprise, "Basch!"

Basch nodded curtly, then looked at each of the occupants of the sofa in turn, "I see you are all well. How does the piracy fare?"

Balthier raised an eyebrow, "I don't think it would be appropriate to discuss such matters with a man of the law. I would hate you know you were on our trail." He replied smoothly with a hint of sarcasm.

"Nay, unless you attempted your hand at another royal kidnapping." Basch retaliated, keeping his eyes locked onto his opponent.

"Really?" Balthier asked lightly, "I believe I do recall your consent on the so called 'kidnapping' of Her Royal Highness back in Bhujerba. And if I was mistaken, I also recall you even suggesting such a thing during our grand entrance into the Bahamut."

The pair were glaring at one another, oblivious to the people around them. Fran looked unconcerned and sat back with the glass in her hand, but the younger pair watched the two men battle verbally with a bit of anxiety. They did not need to be concerned though; what appeared to the eyes as a heated battle of words was nothing more than two friends attempting to jostle each other in entertainment.

They were still at it as Penelo's eyes strayed, now bored with the endless attempt to get a better hand. Her eyes fell onto somebody approaching; a familiar face of a boy younger than her, but dressed much more richly:

"Larsa!" She exclaimed excitedly. Vaan turned to where his companion had called out to and grinned, "Heya Larsa." The boy smiled back and approached the group. "Vaan, Penelo, it is nice to see you again."

"It's nice to see you too Larsa." Penelo replied. She shifted herself across the sofa and added, "Here, have a seat."

The young emperor looked at the offered seat, then answered sincerely, "I would like to, but I have to find the Lady Ashe. Would any of you know where I can find her?"

"Oh," Penelo replied looking a little crestfallen, "she's probably still getting ready. You could try the meeting room behind the throne."

"Thank you Penelo. I don't suppose you would like to accompany me," He asked, directing his question at both the teenagers. He then looked over at Basch and added, "Seeing as my escort is busy at this present time."

"Yeah, this is getting boring already. Let's go."

"Vaan!" Penelo scolded, "This is Ashe's coronation! This is not boring!" Her companion just shrugged, but the younger boy stepped in, "I quite agree. Formalities are somewhat less entertaining than journeying on the open road."

"Larsa!!" Penelo cried, rounding on him too. Vaan grinned at her, "Oh come on Penelo, I know you're bored too."

"I'm not bored!!" She almost yelled back in frustration. The two boys smiled at her, "Well then, if you aren't bored, you can stay here while Larsa and I check out Ashe."

"What? No way, I want to go see Ashe too." She replied annoyed.

"Then it is settled, let us be on our way." Larsa spoke with amusement as he and Vaan turned to go. As they left the red sofa and the other half of their party behind, Vaan leaned over and whispered to the younger emperor, "See, told you she was bored."

They manoeuvred through the throngs of people, all standing crowded round in groups and dressed in elegant finery. Making their way towards the throne was much harder than they could have ever believed. A few mishaps took place along the way, including Vaan stepping onto the hem of a woman's dress as she stepped forward, causing her to topple into the group of people she had been speaking to. Though luckily, they got away before anybody noticed.

They stopped by a large ornate door next to the throne. A guard stood by, watching the festivities without expression. The moment the trio stepped up to him, he called firmly, "Halt. No one may enter unless they have Her Highness' royal permission."

Vaan glared at the guard, wanting to announce that they were extremely important people in the history of Dalmasca, but before he could voice his opinion, Larsa spoke up commandingly; "I am Larsa Ferrinas Solidor. I have come to speak to Lady Ashe on the matter on this coronation, I do hope you have no problem with this."

The guard stared at him, surprised and obviously embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I didn't-" He stammered, "Of course you may enter Your Majesty." He swung the door open and bowed, but even with his head down the red glow on his face was visible.

They stepped into the room, and the guard closed the door gently behind them. The trio found themselves facing a large table, around which many chairs were spaced evenly. And on the other side of the table, they saw Ashe. She was dressed in a very stunning and complicated dress. Very much different from the Ashe they could remember on their journey. She was speaking to a man they suddenly recognised as the Marquis Ondore, and looked rather strained though she attempted to smile. She turned to look at the people that has just entered and her face relaxed into a truer smile; more old friends. Ashe was afraid it might have been a servant coming to tell her that they were ready for her to come.

"Marquis Ondore, Lady Ashe. It is nice you see you both well. I would like to congratulate you on your coronation Your Highness."

"Oh don't say that! This is much harder than I expected!" Ashe cried, suddenly looking nervous and strained, which seemed much out of character for her.

"But, I thought this was what you wanted?" Vaan asked, looking at her confused.

"It is what I want! After fighting for Dalmasca so long would you think I so much of a coward as to back down now!?" She snapped back at him.

"Now there is the Ashe I remember." The Marquis spoke with a laugh. "Always so headstrong and full of righteousness." The others smiled faintly at his comment, including Vaan, who had looked bewildered when Ashe had growled at him.

The door opened again behind them. They all turned.

"Ah, the Lady Ashe, always as stunning and radiant as ever." A smooth voice spoke. Al Cid stood at the door, taking off his shades and placing them into him pocket. Before anybody had a chance to reply, he had crossed the room in smooth quick strides and hand the Queen-to-be's hand to his lips.

"Al, C-Cid…" Ashe stammered, unsure of how to continue. She was flattered by his attention, but it felt awkward for his to be making such a scene in front of everybody; just like how he had done at Mt Bur-Omisace.

"I must say I am rejoiced to know that we will now be joining our nations in unity. Four great countries; firstly our Dalmascan Rose," He said, motioning towards the young woman before him, "Marquis Ondore of Bhujerba," he continued, with a nod of respect at the older man, "young Larsa of Archadia," he said as he stepped over to the boy and tossled his hair, causing Larsa give him a look of disdain, "and of course, yours truly, heir to the Rozzarian throne." He finished with a flourish and bow. Vaan frowned with distaste at the man, but made no comment.

"Yes, a new day dawns for all of Ivalice." Halim Ondore said serenely, "It must be time now for our Lady Ashe to announce it."

Ashe nodded, a firm look of resolution set on her face. "I will, I must do this. For Dalmasca, and all of Ivalice." She spoke, before heading towards the doorway.

"Shall I announce your entrance now Highness?" The guard whom stood by the door asked. Ashe nodded curtly. "Of course. I shall proceed now Highness." The guard replied, before turning and departing. A while later, the music slowed to a stop out in the hall, and the noise dampened down not long after.

An old priest stood before the crowd, he spoke with clarity and serenity; the people catching onto his very words, except for Ashe, whom was still trying to muster herself up for the big presentation. The priests words' seemed to pass right through her, and it was only too soon when she heard him say: "Please attend, Lady Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca.

Ashe took a deep breath before stepping out, her companions in the room watched her; nobody spoke but their presence was comforting to the young Queen as she made her debut. She walked out, head held high and her eyes fixed onto her destination. All the heads within the hall were turned to her, and their murmurs and whispers could be heard.

"It is her…"

"At long last, our Highness has returned…"

As she made her way up to the throne, the priest whom had announced her now stood before her. Ashe knew her part; she bowed low on one knee, her skirts rustling against the breathless silence that now filled the room, she raised her head up to the priest before her as he began to speak. "Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca, will you do honour to these people as the Queen of the nation of Dalmasca?"

"Yes." Ashe replied firmly. It was all that was required of her to say. The priest continued, "Will you swear to uphold this nation, keep her free and prosperous, and defend her with need be your life?" "Yes." Ashe replied again. The priest now directed himself to the large crowd before him, "You have all borne witness to the oath that Lady Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca has sworn. Do you accept her as your royal monarch? Will you respect her and give her your loyalty for the nation of Dalmasca? Ashe was suddenly struck with an idea that her people might disagree, That they might believe she was unfit to rule. Her allusion was dispelled in a second as the entirely crowd called out in the affirmative. Loud shouts of "Yes!", "We will!" and "Aye!" rang throughout the hall, and Ashe couldn't help but feel warm affection for the Dalmascans.

The priest waited until the voices had died down once again before continuing; "Dalmasca has spoken for you. Now, Lady Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca, please rise," Ashe stood slowly, with at attempt at grace, but her legs felt weak under her. Once she was on her feet, the priest stepped up to her and continued, "as Your Royal Majesty, Queen Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca. May you be forever loyal to this fair nation. Faram." He finished as he placed the crown upon her head. The room exploded with noise, people were clapping and yelling. She was also given the royal sceptre, and once she felt ready, Ashe turned towards her people; sceptre held firmly and head held high. She smiled, it was done. She had finally won back what she had lost, and was stronger for it.

Ashe took a moment to look upon the audience before she begun her first announcement as Queen; the people were smiling at her, their faces showing their confidence in her ability; and Ashe knew at that moment that she would not disappoint them.

"People of Dalmasca! For three years we have struggled under the oppression of the empire; but with strong spirits we have battled on through despair and hope, with the memory of my father and our once independent nation in our hearts. I am proud to announce our freedom; and I, as Queen will do my duty to uphold Dalmasca for us all. That we may forever live in peace."

More noise erupted from her words, and Ashe took a chance to scan the mass of people before her. With surprise, she noticed a few familiar faces seated on a long red sofa. One face drew her attention vividly; he raised his glass towards her in a toast and smug grin and Ashe could have almost stepped up to him and slapped that smarmy expression.

Ashe forced her attention away from the man, and instead turned back to looking at the crowd at large, though her eyes could not help but slip to that spot involuntarily. The noise had lowered and she decided that it was time to begin her next announcement. "For peace to remain, Dalmasca must enter into a pact with her surrounding nations. We must bring together our bonds before we can truly strive for a new Ivalice. That is why tonight I would announce to you all that Dalmasca will now enter into an agreement with our surrounding allies; those of Bhujerba, Rozzaria and Archadia." Loud muttering and snide remarks followed the title of Archadia, as Ashe knew it would. She could only hope they would come to see that it was not Archadia at large that was to blame; that it had all been dealt by Vayne and the Occuria, Venat.

"I wish you all to welcome our guests tonight whom will bound this treaty. Marquis Halim Ondore of Bhujerba, Al-Cid Margrace of Rozzaria and Larsa Ferrinas Solidor of Archadia."

The corresponding people of whom she spoke stepped out from the room that Ashe had been waiting within not too long ago, though it felt as if she had been standing up there for hours. They all bowed respectfully to her, as fit for a new monarch, and Ashe returned it in kind. A sheet of parchment, laid regally atop a golden board was brought out by a servant as well. Ashe turned to it, the words etched onto it had been chosen carefully by all four of the rulers, it was an agreement well made, now all it required was certification.

A long elegant quill was to be used for the signing. Ashe would be first, as she would need to give evidence to her people that she was willingly submitting, that it was not the pressure of the others that finally forced her onto the treaty; rumours were created easily but difficult to dispel. She stepped up to it, gazing onto the sheet before her; without any sign of hesitation, she picked up the quill and gracefully signed onto the bottom of the parchment. When she was done, she nodded and turned towards her three colleagues. They followed her, with the same firm acceptance and soon, three more signatures appeared next to her own.

"It is done." Ashe said, "We now have a binding alliance with our neighbouring nations, and as your Queen, I ask of all Dalmasca to uphold this treaty. That if ever a day we shall find this agreement broken, I will not have to announce in shame that it were the fault of my own people. But for the time being, I believe in Dalmasca. I believe you all have the strength to maintain peace in Ivalice. I believe Dalmasca will not fail me."

Her final words brought about another round of applaud from the crowd. Ashe smiled; it was all done. She bowed slowly and respectfully to her people as they continued to cheer, then turned and exited the stage. Her three companion rulers imitated the movement before following her off.

They returned to the room from which they had come from; it was empty.

"Very well done Ashe." The Marquis said as they closed the door behind them. "I believe your determination and resolve has given your people the heart and strength to begin anew."

"Thank you." Ashe replied, looking relieved, "And thank you all," She continued, turning to the other occupants of the room, "for all you have done for Dalmasca's honour."

"It was all due to you. For my brother has wronged Dalmasca so, and now I feel I must make reparations for his actions. This treaty of peace is only the beginning of how much I feel due to owe you." Larsa replied.

"Lady Ashe, may I be so bold to ask of you a favour?" Al-Cid spoke, his tone airy. All the heads in the room turned towards him, but he seemed unfazed by the attention. "My desert rose, may I request a solitary moment with you tonight within the gardens of this wonderful palace?"

The heads all shot back to the newly crowned Queen. Ashe blushed, she could feel the heat rising to her face so face that she was surprised there was no fire in the room. He had requested a date, and before the Marquis and Archadian emperor no less. He had basically made it open that he intended to court her, and she didn't know how to reply. She had found him charming, and of strong will and justice, though her first impression when she met him was of something bordering on arrogance. She still hadn't replied and a foreboding silence filled the room. Ashe continued to think on it. She had let go of her beloved Rasler that day when the Sun Cryst was destroyed, but that was when she had realised she had feelings for another. But that other, she thought with a touch of anger and pain, had made it clear that he did not share her feelings and that he had another with whom he did. Ashe finally made up her mind,

"Yes, I accept." She said.

"Good, then it is agreed." Al-Cid replied coolly. "And now, if you don't mind, I believe I shall take my leave and enjoy the sights of this occasion. Your Majesty, Marquis, Larsa." He said to each of the people in turn, as he pulled out his black shades and put them on. And with that, he turned and walked out of the room.

_Yup, as you have noticed, it ain't done yet. Another lil chapter and I should be able to smooth this off clearly. And yes, I am making a point of Al-Cid/Ashe, since the other males have been taken lol. I think they could make a good couple._


	17. Eveningtide

**Chapter 17 – Eveningtide**

"Well, the princess is now Queen. Do we partake of this rather _costly _relationship, or must we now become outlaws and take our leave?" The copper haired man asked, a glass of wine balanced in his hand. His viera companion didn't reply, only raised her own glass to her mouth, though the large man clad in armour before him did, "I doubt Her Majesty would see fit to expel you after your role in Dalmasca's resurrection Balthier. Though I received correspondence from Penelo, your due was paid from the Cache of Glabados. Am I not correct?"

"You could say that, though the cache of a pirate is, let's say, insurmountable Barsch?" He replied smoothly, twirling the glass in his hand so that the velvet red fluid within it spun round within. The Judge was about to retort when somebody else suddenly cut in, "Could you not even make yourself known after having been absent for so long?!" A woman's voice screeched as she hastily forced her way into the group, her features contorted into a glare at the sky pirate.

"Why, Your Majesty. I am glad to see you restored to your former glory. Though might I add, you are making a scene before your loyal subjects."

"Making a scene? Making a SCENE?!" Ashe's voice had nearly hit a pitch above the human range and many faces in the hall had turned to watch. Her face was red as she snarled at the man, who calmly raised his glass to his mouth again, leaving a very noticeable silence.

"Hey…Ashe, maybe you should stop yelling…" The blond teenaged boy behind her suggested meekly, he was accompanied by a pigtailed girl and a regally dressed boy. The newly crowned queen turned to look at the faces that were watching her, many of them quickly turned away as she met their gaze and began to strike up conversation with those nearby. Ashe turned back towards her prey, an angry gleam still flashing in her eyes.

"You-! Not a word-! No indication at all!"

"I didn't realise you would have so much concern for us lowly sky pirates Majesty. Though I do feel touched by your obvious indication that I am wrong. I apologise for causing you worry." He spoke, with a hint of sincerity in his smile. Another silence followed as Ashe, feeling an emotional upheaval and confusion by his turn of words, looked flustered and was unsure of how to reply.

"Now Balthier, with such words I cannot tell whether you speak honestly." Basch spoke with a laugh, slapping the man on his back; it was amusing to see Ashe in an uncomfortable position. The new Queen turned to glare at the Judge too, but before she had a chance to speak again, somebody else stepped in.

"Lady Ashe, your Majesty. I hope you have not forgotten our rendezvous?" Al Cid asked smoothly extending an arm to her. The contortion of anger disappeared immediately from her face as she gracefully took his arm and walk off amid the silence of her companions, her chin raised up high; the sky pirate raised an eyebrow as he watched her walk away into the garden and out of sight.

"Well, our princess seems to have found a new suitor." He spoke with a questioning expression at the remains of the group.

"Yeah, we didn't know either until he asked her out just before the speech." Vaan replied casually, "though I don't think he suits Ashe. He talks like a snob." Vaan added with a hint of disdain.

- - - - -

The time past as people continued to waltz the night away and the music began to lighten down to slower melodies. The copper haired man raised his arms above his head in a stretch, then dropped one gracefully around his viera companion's shoulders. "Well we must be off now. No treasure for the lingering, Vaan you might want to keep that in mind." Balthier said with a hint of condescension in his expression as he stood up, his companion followed. "It was nice to see you all again. I wish you all well for what lies ahead." Fran finished as they began the make their way out.

"But you didn't stay for very long!" Penelo cried, looking downcast. "Don't worry, we will return." Fran added as the pair began to retreat away, "You haven't seen the last of us!" Balthier called, "Remember, the Leading Man doesn't die!" And with a wave over his shoulder, the pair of sky pirates swept away into the darkness.

"Hey Penelo, let's go explore the castle! Maybe we can find some treasure!" Vaan said with excitement as an attempt to cheer up his slightly unhappy companion. "Come on! Let's go!" Penelo smiled at his encouragement, "Yeah, let's go." She replied as they both wandered off, leaving Basch and Larsa alone in their leave. "I would advise you not to steal from her Majesty, or you will you be subject to the consequences!" The Judge called to them jovially as they left.

"What of us now?" The young emperor asked. "I believe it has become rather futile to stay in this situation. Would you like to escort me through this palace Basch? I would like to know more about Rabanastre."

"Of course, Your Majesty. I would like to see also my old quarters once again. To be back here leaves me in much reminiscence. I hope Her Majesty does not take us in for prying. Though I feel we may not be the only ones doing so at this time." He finished with a wry smile.

- - - - -

"Penelo! Over here! I'll show you the treasury, where I got the nethicite ages ago!"

"Vaan! You know we shouldn't go there! Maybe it was okay when we were stealing back from the empire, but this is Ashe's now!"

"…Right. But still…" Vaan trailed off, looking longingly down the path, "…I'm sure Ashe won't mind." He finished with a shrug and began walking once again. Penelo watched him turn a corner and fall out of sight. Knowing that nothing she could say would dissuade him now, she quickly jogged off after him.

They hurried down halls and turned so many corners Penelo was almost ready to announce her companion was lost. Then they made one more turn that led onto a dead end fitted with a large stained glass adornment; she opened her mouth, but before she had the chance, her companion spoke first, "This is it."

Penelo turned her head from side to side, trying to make sense of what Vaan has just said, she finally said, "I don't-" But was cut off as the young man pushed against the glass and revealed a doorway within. She stared in surprise, as the blond boy headed into the newly made gap, then quickly followed after.

The room they had entered was so bright, gold shone from every inch and gems glimmered from many of the objects. She was reminded of the Cache of Glabados.

"Isn't this cool?" Vaan asked excitedly as he raced about, inspecting the many lavish treasures. "Look at this, this was where I found the nethicite." He motioned towards a goddess statue made of pure gold, the details had been craved extravagantly onto its form.

Vaan must have pushed a secret switch, because suddenly, the head opened up to a cavity within, in which lay a bed of fine fabric, obviously intended to house some mythical treasure. "The nethicite was right there!" Vaan spoke with a hint of pride, as Penelo looked on, rather impressed. They spent considerable time glazing and sorting through the many treasures within the room, taking in the craftsmanship and time it must taken to build such wonders. Vaan finally got up, and added to Penelo, "Should we go look at the rest of the palace?"

The blond girl looked back at him surprised, it was rather out of character for him to suggest leaving treasure behind, "Aren't you planning on taking something with you?" She inquired.

"Nah," Her companion replied, much to her surprise, "This is Ashe's right? And anyway, we'll find heaps of stuff now that we're sky pirates. Let's go Penelo!"

Penelo smiled to herself, Vaan was growing up after all. "Alright!" She replied enthusiastically, and jumped onto her feet. They both left the treasury behind and were soon wandering through corridors that were dimly lit.

"Hey…is that Ashe?" Vaan suddenly asked as he stopped and stared out the window into the view of the garden. Penelo came up beside him to look, "Yeah, and that's Al-Cid. Hey, what are you doing? Are you just going to stand there and watch them?" She asked scandalised, as she attempted to push her companion along.

- - - - -

"Lady Ashe, even within the elegance of this rose garden, you shine with amazing grace. Even these blooms are no match for your radiance." The Rozzarian prince spoke, his voice smooth. The young woman blushed and immediately tried to cover it up, "You flatter too much Al-Cid."

"If it were only mere flattery. But no, the words I speak are true, as are my respect and admiration for you. An amazingly bloom, cast into the harshest atmosphere, yet grows with impeccable strength into a perfect rose."

"Hmpf…" Ashe replied, trying to disregard the emotion in his statement, but being swayed at the same time. He was definitely difference to her other suitors. Caring and comforting, but at the same time leaving her with independence, not like the many others who had treated her like some rag doll, incapable of any decisions, but to be dressed in pretty clothes and shown off as a prize.

"If you don't mind me asked Your Majesty, what are you plans for Dalmasca's future? I hear on the wind that you intend to make a journey to Mount Bur-Omisace, in order for the new Grand Kiltias to honour and certify your Coronation."

Ashe looked surprised. How had he of all people known, she had even yet to notify her council of her plans. But still, hearing him ask her about her plans made her feel as if he respected her decisions.

"Yes, I am intent to make this visit. With the recognition of the Grand Kiltias, I will fear no opposition from those that believe in my illegitimacy." She replied.

"That is true." Al-Cid nodded, "But I fear you leave Dalmasca to much danger if you were to leave so soon after your crowning. That is why I offer a proposition."

Ashe wondered curiously where he was leading, feeling a stab of annoyance as she wondered whether he was about to persuade her to put off her journey.

"As we are now allies, I would like to offer Dalmasca the use of the Rozzarian fleet, for protection while her Majesty is absent."

The young Queen felt a rush of warmth for the man before her, of all the responses that could have been possible, he had chosen the best; almost as if he knew her as much as she knew herself.

"And, if I may be so bold, I would request to accompany Her Majesty, Queen Ashe as she travels to Mount Bur-Omisace as an escort?" Al-Cid asked smoothly, offering the palm of his hand out as he finished. Ashe stood still for a moment, wondering whether she should accept. Certainly this Rozzarian prince was much more decent than many other suitors, but she felt a twinge of hesitation forming a relationship, would this compromise her status? She glanced over at the man, who still waited patiently for a response, and in that second her hesitations disappeared. Smiling serenely, she reached out and took his hand in hers. And they both headed back to the palace hall, without a word.

- - - - -

"Wow, I guess they really are going out!" Vaan exclaimed, as he leaned out the window and watched the royal couple head back into the hall and disappear from sight.

"Vaan!! How can you just go spying on her like that!?" Penelo scolded, as the blond boy finally took his eyes away from the gardens and back to his female companion.

"Hey…I was wondering…" Vaan said tentively. "Are we like…that?"

"Like what?" Penelo asked, looking confused.

"Like….that. Ashe and Al-Cid?" Vaan replied. Penelo turned a bright shade of red as the meaning of his words dawned on her.

"Uhh…well-" Penelo answered, very flustered and becoming redder by the second. Vaan suddenly took the opportunity and jumped in and planted his lips on her. Penelo let out a surprised shriek, but much to Vaan's happiness, did not attempt to pull away.

When the couple finally separated, an awkward silence fell between them, both looking very unsure of what to say. Then Penelo reached for his hand in her familiar way, and they wandered off down the halls, together, side by side.


End file.
